TBW
by IcyDrummer
Summary: Robin is sent on a spur of the moment mission, and before he knows it he's living in the suburbs, getting stabbed not gory  and escaping an angry French mob, all the while protecting an innocent, defenseless, and victimized young lady. Or is she? NO SLASH
1. Chapter 1 You've Got a Job to do

**.®.®.®.®.®.Introduction.®.®.®.®.®.**

"**Recognized** Robin" the computer said. The Boy Wonder entered and looked around, placing his knuckles on his hips, satisfied.

The room was good size, cylindrical with a high ceiling. In the center there was a lower layer, a crevice of sorts. Like the larger room, it too was shaped like a circle, and if you wanted to get to the couches that hugged the rim, you had to walk down a flight of several steps.

He didn't take the stairs. He never did. Rolling forward, he sprung off his hand, performed a flip in mid air, and comfortably landed on a couch. Folding his hands behind his head, he smiled to himself. His head then left its position, slipping down the couch. He laid along it, crossing his ankles.

Sighing deeply, he relaxed. Which was nice once and a while. Even he had to admit that.

"ROB!" startled, he sat up, and scrambled to get a disk from his belt. As soon as he retrieved said weapon, it was whisked away by a red and yellow blur. Recognizing the signature smudge, he grabbed another piece of his arsenal from behind his back. He crossed his gloved hands behind his head as the blur grabbed the thing from them again.

"OH! Robin! Hi!" he glanced over his shoulder to see Misses Martian fly in. "Uh, Have you seen Kid Flash around?" she stammered. Smirking, he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Wait for it." he said. They heard KF was muttering to himself in the background. He was saying something about "what is this thing, and why is it ticking?"...

BOOM rang throughout the air as the device detonated, sending a perplexed Wally flying across from one side to the other.

"Hahahaha! Take that snoop!" Robin mocked, grabbing his ribs in laughter.

"Hey dude! Not funny!" Kid Flash whined, rubbing his red hair.

"Oh, lighten up. It was only a flash-bang detonation. Minor damage, it's mostly for show." he assured his friend, again lacing his fingers to rest his head.

"Yeah well... well..." poor Wally was stammering as he zipped in front of the Boy Wonder, waving a finger in his friend's face.

"Enough." all three of them turned to look as Caldur and Super-Boy marched in.

"Oh! Uh, I found Kid Flash!" Meghan embarrassingly stated, flying up above his head and pointing her arm toward him.

"More like Kid Flash-bang." Robin snickered to himself.

"And he, in turn, found Robin." Caldur continued Meghan's statement as he walked over to them. "Don't worry about the perimeter, Artemis, we've found him." He said over the radio, holding a finger to his ear.

Smiling broadly the subject gave Wally's leg a swift nudge, scooting him from the foot's would be resting spot. "Glad to see you all missed me."

"Oh, we were not the ones who are looking for you." Aqua-Lad warned as he stepped aside.

"Robin." a subtle yet deep, booming voice said.

The Boy Wonder's white eyes grew wide. He shivered.

"Can I welcome to the Young League Headquarters, Batman and Superman." Caldur said. Robin gave a worried, yet smiling glance over his shrugged shoulder to the "guests", fixing his glasses.

"The League has an assignment for you."


	2. Chapter 2 A Bad Start

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 2.®.®.®.®.®.**

**A Bad Start**

**

* * *

Washington DC**

**August 11, 4:29 EDT

* * *

**

The front door opened as Grace Emilia Ross walked through it. She looked around. "Sasmootch?" she called for her dog questioningly, when she heard the back door close. "Hello?" she asked. "Is someone there?" she cautiously left the front door, and upon entering the living room to the right, she craned her neck, trying to see into the kitchen around the corner. "Dad, is that chou?" walking around the corner, she saw her dog sitting on the hard wood floor, waiting for her.

"Oh Sasmoa. Was that you making all that noise? You silly dog." she said, petting the animal furiously. After letting the dog out into the large, white fenced backyard, she walked back through the living room to the stairs, and up to her room. It was right at the top step, and at the end of the long hallway.

Dropping her backpack at the door, she plopped on her pink and black mixed bedspread. Closing her brown eyes, she began to doze off, thinking of Ray Stevens. The hottest guy in school always gave her good dreams.

"Honey!"

She groaned in response.

"Honey?"

She heard Doctor Ross call her again, louder, this time he was standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Hun, it's time for dinner." Her eyes jerked open. **seven o'four** her clock's face said. _Oh gosh_, she thought, _I was asleep, for what, 2 hours?_ wide awake, she pulled her shoulder length, dark brown hair back, trying to tame the frizz as she glided down the stairs.

She wasn't tall, but she wasn't short. Nor could she have ever expected what was going to happen to her in the next few days...

"Morning." Doctor Ross said, placing the last dish on the table. She froze and stared. "Everything okay?" he inquired cheerfully.

"You actually made dinner? And the table?" she was stupefied as she watched her dad move about. Slowly Grace took her seat. "Everything okay with you?"

"Yeah, well your mother did teach this old dog a few tricks." he said, sitting down himself. "Won't you join us?" he asked glancing over Grace's head.

"Dad, I am. Glad to see how easy I am to ignore." she grumble, grabbing some bread from the fancy serving dish. Not noticing that the good china was out.

"Nah, I'm not hungry." a young boy answered.

"What the...?" Grace looked over her shoulder with a piece of bread hanging from her mouth. She gazed at Robin, who was in his disguise. He was leaning up against the door frame, watching over the whole room.

"Uh, dad. Who's that?" she pointed a fork over her shoulder, forcing herself to smile.

"Oh, this is...um..." Doctor Ross stared at Robin, motioning with his hand.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Caleb," he slowly said, amused. It then donged on him, that even though he had explained as much as he could about the situation to Ross, he never gave the Doctor his alias. He knew Batman would not have been pleased, but still, he was humored.

He had a right to be...right? This was his chill time, and you know, maybe he was just a little more special than the others. It's not like they would be able to hold a cover, stay alert, or react in a nanosecond like he could.

"Oh, yes... Grace, this is Caleb." Ross stammered.

"Shure he is." she muttered to herself.

The rest of the meal was quiet while Ross and Grace ate, and "Caleb" surveyed the scene.

The dining room was to the left when you walk in through the front door. It was good sized, had a large oak table in the center. The table itself could have sat eight, if the leaf was in place. There were a few very decorative chairs sitting around it. Even fewer highly decorated serving dishes, plates, and pieces of silverware which were all placed on the table. The white tablecloth was hidden under as many place mats as there were places. Which there were 6 of to be exact.

After the meal...

"Okay go on, scat!" Ross commanded, verbally shooing Grace and Caleb out of the dining room. "I'm cleaning up. Um, Caleb you can watch some TV if you want. And Grace you start on your homework young lady."

Caleb, leaving his post on the door frame, he casually followed Grace to the living room. Collapsing on a plush, expensive, leather sofa, he kicked his feet up on the short table in the center of the rectangular room. Grace sat down on her own chair, grabbed the remote, and turned on the wide screen TV. She didn't know what was on, and it was a commercial.

"So, who the heck are you?" she asked, not even glancing at Caleb.

"Caleb Lyman. Uh, you're dad's fostering me while the orphanage gets remodeled." He answered, turning his head to look at her. "it should only take a few days." He muttered, mostly trying to convince himself that this would be over soon.

"Oh the orphanage? Well isn't that sweet..." she asked defensively.

"Shouldn't you be getting to your homework anyway?" he hinted to her, not fazed by her outburst.

"Shouldn't you mind your own business? And take those stupid glasses off, you're inside genius." Grace slumped deep into her leather chair, turning the volume up to the show that she wasn't even watching.

Convinced that the conversation was over, Caleb glanced at the TV, his thin, lack eyebrow cocked. "You watch this often?"

"All the time." she muttered stifling a yawn.

He looked from her back to the screen. Standing, he walked behind her on is way to the window. "Don't fall asleep...I watch you when you sleep." he whispered to the back of her head as she began to doze.

"What?" her eyes shot open.

"Made you look." he teased leaning over her to grab the remote.

"Hey! Give it back!" she said, diving for his hand.

"You need to get to work on your homework." Caleb hid his arms behind his back.

"You need to stay out of my business!" she scolded, trying to reach around him.

"So then you haven't told your dad about that guy." he swooped under her, jumped up, and landed squatting on the couch.

"What guy!"

"Yeah, what guy?" Grace froze in horror staring at her dad. Ross stared back, his gaze demanding answers.

Caleb chuckled, tuned the TV off, and fell back, sitting on the sofa. If he had a sister, he would treat he something like this. And she would respond something like that... He turned his head to watch her storm up the stairs. Her glare bounced off his shining glasses.


	3. Chapter 3 A Worse Start

.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 3.®.®.®.®.®.

A Worse Start

Washington D.C.

August 12, 7:00 EDT

That morning took its sweet time reaching Grace Emily Ross. After knocking her alarm clock off the nightstand, dropping the soap bottle on her foot, getting shampoo in her eyes, loosing her brush behind the sink, not being able to find what she wanted to wear, and tripping over her dog, she was sent flying down the stairs, only to be caught in someones quick arms.

"You okay?" Robin asked her, placing her back on her feet.

"I was." she grumbled, pulling her thin, black shirt down. She was wearing some well-fitting dark jeans, her hair was being held in a pony-tail by a black and pink striped hairband, which matched the pink design on her shirt. "Well, I mean I've been okay...er?"

"Better?" he asked cheerfully, amused.

"I was having a bad enough morning as it is, okay! Why is this kid still here?" she called to her dad, who was chugging his coffee halfway from the kitchen to the living room.

His eyes were glooed to the TV while they checked the weather and the stock report from last night. "I was wondering what took you so long to get down here." he hurriedly replied between hot sips.

"Dad! Seriously, who is he, and why he is even here? And stop looking at me!" she scolded Robin, throwing her head back as he walked over behind her.

"I'm not a kid, and I wasn't." he sassed, slipping past her. Entering the kitchen, he glanced out a window observing the backyard.

"Sure you aren't, and sure you weren't... DAD!" she followed Ross as he rushed into the kitchen and fiddled with the coffee pot. Robin raised an eyebrow, glancing over his shoulder at the not-so-smooth Doctor. Despite doing his duty, the Boy Wonder was also doing everything he could to enjoy the hilarity of the morning traffic jam.

"Honey, I'm sorry but he has to stay here." Ross hastily replied while fixing his jacket that hung over his shoulder, all the while trying to prevent his briefcase from falling out of his hand.

"He has to? Oh really, like it's a life or death situation if he doesn't?" Grace turned, watching her dad race past her towards the front door.

"Pretty much!" Robin called from behind her, peeking through the blinds.

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" she shot a hand at Robin before zipping after the Good Doctor.

"Honey, I'm sorry, but I really have to go. We'll talk later, promise." he said while attempting to unlock the door with the car keys.

"Fine." she grudgingly accepted, smiling at herself . She gave her dad a loose one arm hug as his lips pecked her on the top of her dark brown hair. "Luv you." she said standing in the doorway her long, thin arms wrapped tightly around her tiny waist.

"You too. Remember, that's a promise!" Ross slammed the door to his car, sped down the driveway, and bolted down the street.

"I'm not the one I'm worried about remembering." she sang quietly before turning back inside. She looked at Robin who was now wearing a red sweatshirt, but everything else that he wore yesterday. He blurred past her heading up the stairs. "Be sure to lock the dead-bolt too."

"Whatever 'Caleb'." Grace emphasized his name making the point that she didn't believe his cover. Reaching one arm back she flipped the nob, locking the bolt.

"What time do you usually leave for school?" Robin called from upstairs somewhere.

"It's not like you're going." she said with a snobbish chuckle while entering the living room to turn off the TV.

"Guess again." he slid down the guard rail, and tossed her heavy backpack to her.

"What?" she froze, letting the bag land on the floor, and on her foot, with a loud THUMP.

School was worse than the morning. She tried desperately to loose her 13 yr old shadow. Objecting when he walked into her class, and hiding herself amongst her friends were a few of her attempts. The only place she could get solitude was the Ladies Bathroom, but sure enough, he would be leaning on a locker, or a wall, or a door-frame, waiting for her when she got out.

He wasn't the only thing wrong with the day. She had a pop quiz in history, nearly failed it. She was forced to get paired with her school geek stalker for a game in anatomy. That was embarrassing. Neither was running extra in gym because she was late because she was hiding in the Ladies Bathroom. And on top of all that, she was exhausted.

She managed to get through the first period without talking to him. Lunch without looking at him, and the second period without seeing him. Which was a welcome change. She must have scanned the room a hundred times looking for him. She even saw places that she didn't even know where there. Finally! She was alone...

Caleb, meanwhile, was sitting on the school front steps dialing his phone. He had charged it last night like Batman had told him to, and he already knew that speed-dials that were assigned to his teammates. The only problem with it was that it wasn't working. The calls must not be getting through because no one was answering. What was worse is that no one was calling him. He hadn't heard anything from his team, or the League.

Stretching his arms out, he placed his palms on his knees. He sighed deeply, forcing himself to relax as best he could. He couldn't completely relax. If he did then he would be off guard, which means that something wrong would happen. He couldn't let that happen. He had Grace's life and his reputation at stake. If anything happen to her, she would die, Ross would spill all that he learned from the Joker, and Caleb would loose all respect that he had struggled to gain. Well, no one was sure about the Joker thing, but they were all being cautious, just in case.

He liked undercover gigs, he really did, but not so much any more. He was fine when he was undercover with Bruce. He knew what to do when things went south and how to clean up Dick's messes. But he wasn't here this time. No one was.

He was fine long before he had a team, and way before he knew that they were doing things that were dangerous. Since he was recruited to join Young Justice, being alone was almost torturous. He had to know what was going on. He had to know when to be worried, and when to chill. He needed to know when they were running into gunfire, and when they were sleeping (or eating as the case may be for Wally). And he didn't. These kids weren't just his team members, they weren't just an experiment that was thrown together. They were his friends, his family. And he was worried about them more than they were worried about themselves.

But he couldn't fret about that now. Hearing the bells from inside the school ring, he stood, and after giving the phone one last hopeful glance, he put it in his pocket.

Quickly he recognized Grace's friends and made his way to them. "Where's Grace?" he asked them, worried when he didn't see her. They shrugged and told him that they hadn't seen her. Worried, he pivoted and sprinted up the many steps to the elaborate double doors.

Stepping into the main, hard wood floored, hallway, he struggled to go against the flow of teens. Studying the heads, searching for her brown pony-tailed hair, he didn't see her. He wasn't going to call her, he wasn't going to panic. But he **was** going to find her.


	4. Well Bye Then

**YES Another chapter! Finally... Sorry guys it's taken this long. Uploading might be sporadic (Or whatever throughout this week.) Anyway, from here on out pay careful attention to the time and location of each chapter. KK that's all, on with reading! **

**

* * *

.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 4.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Well bye then.**

**Mount Justice**

**August 11, 3:57 EDT**

"What, you're just gonna leave without sayin' good-bye?" Wally asked as he ran out of Mount Justice, chasing an undercover Robin.

Dick didn't miss a beat as he twirled around, walking backwards. "Yup." he chuckled, "It's not like I'm gonna' be gone forever. You'll take the bio-ship to LA, stop the mob, most likely get a souvenir, and as soon as you radio me that it's over, I'll be sprinting home, fast as possible." he smiled as Wally caught up to him.

"Whoa man. That's almost creepy." he joked, trying to keep the serious mood that he felt creeping itself over his friend back as long as possible.

They walked for a few minutes. He could tell that Dick was deep in thought, developing his alias, and processing his cover.

"So..." Wally laced his fingers behind his head as he walked pounding his knees up, almost hitting his chest. He rolled his green eyes trying to find something to finish his sentence. "...ever been on any protective undercovers before?" he blurted out the first statement that came to him.

Immediately the speedster regretted it. Dick's entire mood changed, his head dropped, he thrust his sweaty hands into his pockets, and played with his lips. "Yeah," he said quietly.

"Oh. Bet that was fun..." _Idiot!_ Wally mentally slapped himself.

"A blast. Listen, I gotta' go. We're getting within view of the town, and Mister Caleb Lyman can't be seen with Kid Flash." Dick, now Caleb, stammered as if he was searching for an excuse to get away. Not from Wally, but from his friends questions.

KF stopped and watched his friend march off.

_ He didn't say good-bye._

Wally stood there. He didn't want Rob to go, not alone, and not after that little show. W_hat's with him? I just asked if he's done something like this before? Of course he has, he is Robin after all! What was I thinking! That's the thing, I wasn't. I never do. Such a Moron! _

Wally was easily one of, if not the, person on the team that was the hardest on himself. He knew that both Kaldur and Robin were, for obvious reasons. Meghan tries, but she's always... she's just to smooth and laid back. He wasn't sure if Conner really cared about stuff like that. And Artemis, she wasn't on the team. Well she was, but she didn't count. She did, but not about this. Or something like that.

Pivoting, he skid along the beach, sped across the grass, and zipped into the mountain. Batman and Green Arrow were explaining the details of their side of the mission.

"This is unlike most of the operations that you have encountered as a team previously." Bats was saying. "Like the mission in Santa Barbara it requires stealth. You are all required to were your stealth outfits at all times, unless you're in the daylight. Then, and then only, you are to wear your civilian disguises."

"Good ol' Bats is still the only one that can't say civ clothes." Wally quietly commented.

"_Do not_ go out alone, and always watch your back. Gangs are dangerous, and if they get word that the Justice League, or that Young Justice, is onto them they will get violent. Since Robin is on leave, Kaldur, you're in charge."

"I am honored to, yet again, resume my position as leader of this force." he said, bowing slightly. It was a habit.

_I bet you are... _Wally hissed.

Looking toward the rest of them, Batman continued. "We believe that the gang has stations set up in both Las Angeles and Las Vegas, with direct smuggling routes to either cities. You're team will cover Las Vegas, with the assistance of Diana."

"Best assignment ever." Wally sang as he whispered to Conner, who was standing next to him. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Any questions?" Green Arrow interrupted the session.

Wally's arm shot up.

"Yes?"

The team rolled their eyes all expecting some stupid question that had nothing to do with the mission. Inside they dreaded it, and were prepared to be the laughing stalks among the Leaguers.

"What exactly was the gang doing that was so illegal? I thought it was spying, but why do they need smuggling routes too? And how do we sit as far as actually getting to Sin City?"

They were taken back, relieved. Batman was unchanged, as always. But Green Arrow took over. "The mob was selling the information that Jen was giving them to France and other European countries that wish to harm to the US. They have also gotten their crummy hands on some US government research weaponry, and are constantly moving it between the cities as to avoid us getting our stuff back.

You will be taking the bio-ship, if Meghan can handle it, and Diana will be flying her jet." with this Green Arrow turned and looked at Meghan.

"We are in a a bit of a rush, but you don't have to worry about pushing yourself in getting there, especially since we have the Boy Wonder lookin' out for us.

The scumbags have no reason to move until they get the girl." he finished.

Meghan nodded in understanding, even though she was fine. It didn't take a lot of energy to fly the ship and, like Robin had advised, she had been practicing.

"How much money do we get for a Vegas-style buffet?" Wally called out. Some of the team rolled their eyes, while others slapped their faces. That was the question that they were expecting. Next he would ask about seeing the sites, especially in Vegas.

"And when do we get chill time to, you know, see the sights?"

They internally moaned.

Batman ignored the inquiries and continued, explaining that they would be filled in more as they flew, and sent them to get ready.


	5. Truth Be Told

**Yes, a new chapter. And yes, we are back with Robin. Or Caleb. :) But anyway, this chapter seems short, and it'll seem shorter as you read it, but I'm averaging a two page norm on open office. **

**

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.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 5.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Truth be Told**

**Washington D.C.**

**August 12, 5:27 EDT**

Unlocking and opening the front door, Grace Emilia Ross was met by Sasmootch. "Hey boy. Did you miss me? Huh? Yes, of course you did that's cuz I'm your mommy." she shoved past him as she dropped her backpack on the first few steps of the mighty stair case. "Hello? Anyone home?" she leaned around the corner surveying the living room. "No? Eh, I'm cool with that." plopping down in her usual chair, she kicked her shoes off, crossing her legs under her.

"Finally. Where were you?" Caleb asked, walking in from the backyard.

She looked at him upside down, pressing her head on the back of her chair. "I was talking to my... you know what," she paused waving her finger at him, "you do not have to know."

"Yeah, I do." Caleb leaned on the back of the couch after locking the back door.

"No, really, you don't." she corrected him watching as he placed one hand on the top of the couch, slinging himself over it.

"No, really I do." he assured her.

"Why? Why do you need to know who I was talking to after school? Why do you need to know when I leave for school each morning? Why do you need to watch me like a hawk or something else that watches over things when I'm there?"

"Because, it's my job." grabbing the remote, he turned the TV on.

"Oh really? Great." She said looking to one side trying to prevent tears. She looked down at her lap before continuing. "My dad has hired some undercover detective to spy on me to make sure I'm not doing drugs or something!" poor Grace was crushed. She strong face was tearing up.

"Do you?" Caleb said, trying not to show his concern for her strange change.

"Uh, no!" she stated, almost sounding offended about it while she still held the tears back.

"I believe you. So who were you talking to?"

"My boyfriend. Wait, what? UGH!" she groaned. "Who are you?" she sat straight up in her chair. He calmly glanced over at her as she raised her eyebrows telling him that she demanded answers.

He sighed, dropping his head slightly. "I guess I would have to sooner or later...I'm Robin." sitting up, he looking over his shoulder to the back door when he heard a scratch.

"That's Sas," she told him where the noise came from. Her eyes never left him as he stood and let the dog out the backdoor, locking it once it closed. "So what, you're actually THE Robin? THE Boy Wonder?" she yelled to him.

"Yup." he replied.

"Well, please, a moment whilst I contain my enthusiasm. You actually expect me to believe that?" she stood in front of her chair, about to walk over to him. But the sudden movement left her dizzy, and she collapsed back down.

"Yup," he peeked through the blinds, watching the dog.

"Whoa. Really." he slowly looked at her when she entered the kitchen door-way, looking back at him. He laughed when he saw her face. "Yes, I'm really THE Robin. THE Boy Wonder, proud prodigy of THE Batman."

Grace's eyebrows were raised, mouth open, breathing scarce. "Really?"

Robin rolled his eyes, staring forward. Lifting his own black eyebrow, he looked over at her after a second of silence. She was staring at him, hands open at her sides. She gave a little "eh" to prod him to say more...

"You know that your father was accused of helping Jennifer Blye kill herself?" Robin folded his hands in front of himself, elbows resting on his knees.

"People actually believe that garbage?" Grace let out a hesitant chuckle. She was sitting in her chair, across from him.

She was half nervous, half excited, thus always repositioning herself.

"Some people believe it, and are taking it a little too far. I can't tell you much, but there are some people out there that will hurt you to get to your father for what they believe he did."

"Really? Who?" she asked, her face showing genuine concern.

"I can't tell you, but my team is...they're taking care of it. The people, might try to hurt or kidnap you, to get your father to say, things. Things that my friends wouldn't like if they get out into the media." looking over her head, he watched the front door for a few seconds. "What time is your dad supposed to come home?" he asked in a quieter, more serious tone.

"N-not till like six thirty." she stammered, watching Robin stand and creep over to the door. "Did you turn the alarm on?" he whispered to her.

"I, y-yeah. No, I'm not sure." she slowly stood again about to tear up.

"Go upstairs, now." he commanded stepping back from the door. He grabbed her arm as she glided by. "No matter what, don't make a sound, and don't get found. Go!" he gave her a little nudge, stepping backwards as she went up the stairs. Watching the doorknob tremble, he heard a door upstairs silently close.

Breathing deeply, he reached up his back, his arm disappearing under his black jacket. Revealing it again, he hand held several smoke pellets, and those devices that wrap you in a steel grip after they detonate against you.

Stepping back, he raised his hands ready. His keen eyes studying the doorknob while Grace was hiding in her parents giant walk-in closet. That was her champion hiding spot while she was growing up. _Com'on, Semi-Annual Hide-and-Seek Championship Hiding Spot, don't let me down_.


	6. Missed Call, Shmissed Call

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 6.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Missed Call, Shmissed Call**

**Bio-Ship**

**August 12, 5:27 EDT**

Wally couldn't get over it. _"A blast. Listen, I gotta' go. We're getting within view of the town, and Mister Caleb Lyman can't be seen with Kid Flash." What did he mean? Com'on Rob, help me out! What went down! _He repeated over and over in his head. And after seeing what Gotham was really like made him worry even more for 'the little guy', as Wally affectionately calls him. He couldn't imagine, and he didn't want to. All those lunatics, those maniacs that Rob was scared of. What if this Joker dude had something to do with it? He was the one that Ross had talked got info from, was it him?

Ugh! He hated not knowing! He wanted to know more about his closest friend. What could he do to help, what could he say? That's all he wanted, to help Robin.

_Calm down Wallster. You're head is just in the clouds._ He looked out the window. _Yeah, for too long. _He sighed angrily as he slammed his head against the back of his chair.

His chair... his stupid chair. He had been sitting in it for more than twenty-four hours now. He couldn't run, but when he did move about, the space inside the bio-ship was small, and it wouldn't take long for Meghan to ask him to stop pleading that he was carving a canyon in the floor.

He crossed his legs, then his arms. Then he stood, and sat back down. Stand, sit. Stand, sit. Stand, collapse down. Arms hanging on either sides of the chair, his thin, muscular legs sprawled out. He head of red hair hung off the side, his mouth hung open.

Suddenly, he sprung up, realizing something. "That's it!" he yelled breaking the usual quiet atmosphere. Literally.

Conner was jerked awake, Meghan was startled, Kaldur's reading was interrupted, and Artemis didn't notice. She was jamming away on her Ipod.

"What's it?" Meghan sweetly asked after a moment of recollecting herself.

"Yes, what?" Kaldur restated.

Wally was standing in front of his chair with his back facing the rest of the team. His legs spread out, and fists were raised high. His ivy eyes popped open. Slowly, he turned to look to face Meghan and Kaldur, who were both watching intently.

"Oh." he chuckled while blushing severely. "Was that out loud?"

Kaldur sighed deeply, Meghan chuckled, Conner groaned, and Artemis rolled her eyes.

Thoroughly embarrassed, Wally whirled around and plopped in his chair. He sat there, legs up against his chest, arms wrapped around them. He wished that he could shrink into nothingness. _That was... weird. Impulsive, which is normal, but weird. Anyway, that has to be it. I have jet lag! Ah-ha!That's why I'm so unnecessarily freaked out. Of course Rob is fine, he's awesome! I have nothing to worry about._

Robin's words played over for the hundredth millionth time in his head. _"It's not like I'm gonna' be gone forever. You'll take the bio-ship to LA, stop the gang, and most likely get a souvenir. And as soon as you radio me that it's over, I'll be sprinting home, fast as possible." _Wally liked this side of Robin more, and it was the one he focused on.

But his recollections were interrupted by his phone vibrating.

'**ONE MISSED CALL'** it read. _Missed call?_ Opening the alert, he saw it was from Robin's phone. _Well would ya' look at that! Speakin' of the devil, he's messing with me again._ Wally convinced himself. Deleting the message, he put his phone on vibrate, and dropped it on the floor.

_No, nothing wrong here._


	7. Big Foreign Dummy

**You know, cuz I'm in such a good mood, and since I promised someone a fight soon, here's another chapter! Enjoy and keep the reviews a'commin'!**

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.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 7.®.®.®.®.®.**

**_Big Foreign Dummy_**

**Washington DC.**

**August 12, 5:39 EDT**

Tremble. Breathing. Shake. Calm down. The door handle stood still. It wasn't shaking, nor was it turning. Robin was taken back, but not enough to even mention it. He slowly, quietly exhaled. The threat appeared to be gone, but you could never be to careful.

"Caleb?"

He closed his eyes in frustration and clenched his teeth.

"What?" He whispered a reply. He heard Grace slowly, and cautiously melt down the steps. She new the sweet spots, so her trip made little if any noise at all. "Stop." he commanded to her when she reached half way.

"Cal-Robin, it's my boyfriend. It's Greg. He just text me telling me that he was here." She showed her phone to Robin, even though she was several steps above his head, and he was facing away from her. "And I invited him over today. Well, he invited himself over..." her words strayed away as she watched Robin straighten.

He waved his hand to her beckoning her down. "You're sure." he asked, grabbing the phone from her.

"Yeah. He gave me his number like... a year or something ago on the bus ride from camp." she reached out and took her phone back.

"Fine. Let 'im in." he said, grudgingly. He smacked himself inside for getting to close to her. When he thought about her being his sister, even though it was for a moment, he felt like she was in fact his sibling. And he didn't like the idea of this guy.

Grace shoved past Caleb and opened the door. "Greg!" she walked onto the porch, arms wrapped around herself tightly. Smiling, she waved when he looked back at up her.

_Greg. Yeah, like that's a real name._ Robin thought to himself as he put his weapons back behind him. He watched a tall youth climb the steps to the porch and wrap his arms around Grace. Robin's blue eyes widened as they hugged. _Ew_.

Greg opened his his brown eyes and looked up at Robin who was still standing in the middle of the doorway, but a few steps inside. Robin narrowed his eyes at Greg, who frowned slightly in return.

"Oh, uh, Grace. You didn't tell me you had company." Greg said stupidly, pulling away from her. Caleb noticed his slight accent, but couldn't pin-point where it was from.

"Eh, yeah I did. That's the entire reason that you wanted to come remember? To meet my foster brother." Grace looked back at Robin while she walked in with Greg. He stared at the Boy Wonder, trying to collect his thoughts as Grace closed and locked the door.

"Hey, I'm Greg." he put his hand forward, offering Caleb a formal handshake. Caleb, however, peered around him slightly looking at his back pack.

"Got enough stuff?" He asked commenting on the size of the bag.

"Caleb." Grace corrected him.

"Well, isn't he the little charmer." Greg said smiling sarcastically. Caleb gave him an awkward little grin as he cocked his head slightly. "How long do you have to put up with him?" Greg continued.

"I'm not sure. But it's shouldn't be more than a few days, while the orphanage remodels." Grace stumbled at first, but pulled her story together in the end.

Caleb was both impressed that she remembered it all and happy that she was now willing to play along. She would become his best adversary, though neither of them knew it.

"So, what brings you around, to a house without adults, on a school day?" Caleb asked as he followed Greg and Grace into the living room. Grace was retrieving the drink that she offered Greg.

"Oh, Grace and I were going to study some." Greg said fulling showing how annoyed he was now that Grace wasn't around.

"Really, study what? Anatomy of the human body?" Caleb asked leaning on the back of the couch.

"Something like that." Greg muttered, smiling broadly as Grace gave him a glass of **Coke**.

"We will be upstairs. You, try not to worry so much." Grace grabbed Caleb's arm as he walked over to the window. He turned and looked back at her giving her the look that says "You know I can't." She smiled a sweet grin, trying to comfort his obviously disturbed disposition.

Caleb sat on the couch and listened to Grace and Greg walk upstairs. He didn't like Greg, but he forced himself to let the subject go. He convinced himself it was just his false pretenses of brotherhood that was making him so anxious. He sat there nervously glancing at the clock on the TV several times a minute. Grace had said that Ross comes home at about six thirty, and he couldn't come quick enough. It was just after six now, so he had to wait thirty more minutes. Which was eighteen hundred seconds.

"CALEmmph!" Grace screamed from upstairs. Caleb immediately rocketed up the steps, down the hallway and slammed into her door. He tried the handle, locked.

"Grace!" He called back to her, gearing back, ready to kick the door open.

CRASH! His small body was thrown into her room, but she wasn't there. "Grace!" no reply. Then he noticed that her room was clean. Her bed was made, there were dirty clothes across a small chair, Greg and her weren't in here, they never were. Pivoting, he looked through the doorway as he heard a heavy body run down the stairs.

He ran after the noise, reached the top of the stair case to see Greg close the front door. "Hey!' Caleb yelled after him, jumping down the entire flight of stairs, rolling along the ground as he landed, standing and trying the door. It opened easily, it wasn't locked. _Big foreign dummy_. Caleb thought as he slipped through it and onto the porch.

Suddenly a long, thick, pointed object stabbed into his neck. "AH!" he screamed, grabbing Greg's hand which held the giant needle. Instantly the world began to spin and grow dark. His head hurt, a lot. His chest stung even more. Caleb winced as Greg violently pulled the stylus from the boy's neck. Caleb fell to the side, managing somehow to catch himself. He watched the world revolve around him, the colors growing brighter, then darker, then black. He felt Greg pound his chest and gut in as he kicked him repeatedly. He coughed, but didn't inhale. He couldn't breath, Greg had Grace, Joker, need her back, save her, stop Joker...

His mind went back, way back, to when it was just him and the Batman. The day when the Joker died, that was the last the child ever wanted to see of the lunatic. He thought about the Batcave, Alfred, the long long nights in the winter. He could here the Batwave's (the computer in the Batcave) alarm ring in his head. It buzzed constantly. It got louder and louder, slowly drowning itself into the roar of a crowd.

He looked around, his blue eyes wide and shaky. He was standing in the middle of a giant circle that was in the center of an even larger circle. It was a tent, and circus tent.

He followed the "oohs" and the "awe's" of the crowd and glanced up, high into the top. He saw a trapeze, he saw three figures. His eyes began to tear as he watched the routine that he had grown up with. Flips, catches, jumps, flings. Then **it** came. The cords came loose, the trapeze broke, the crowd gasped, the figures fell. He watched them fall, and fall, hurdling toward him. The spotlights dropped after the figures and shown into his crying eyes.


	8. The Princess of the Pieces of the Story

**If you haven't figured out by now, look at the titles after you read the chapter. They'll make more sense that way! Anyway, here's chapter 8, and back to Wally!**

**Also, if anyone can remember what the plane of the Justice League is, I would be most appreciative. Well, I would if you told me. Also please review! I want to know what you guys think!  
**

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.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 8.®.®.®.®.®.**

**The Princess of the Pieces of the Story**

**Las Vegas**

**August 12, 8:04 EDT**

They were on their way to Vegas after Batman gave them the coordinates, still. Flying next to Meghan's bio-ship was Diana's invisible jet. Watching the invisible plane fly next to his window, Wally got an idea. Rising, he walked to the back of the ship, his chair dissolving as he left it. In the back, he looked up to the little camera thing. "Black Bird, this is Speeder B03, requesting teleportation doll." he waited for the response.

"Black Bird, com'on over Wally." Diana's voice chuckled as it came over the com in his ear. He smiled as the little camera thing scanned him. Then, he disappeared.

Entering Diana's ship, he looked around examining the inside. It looked a lot like the bio-ship. Actually, it looked exactly like the bio-ship. With one exception. It was smaller. Not long ways, but as in width. It wasn't a cruise around, take the family and the dog with ya' kinda' plane. It was a stealth fighter jet. That happened to be invisible. Sweet.

"What's up Wally?" he turned to see Diana walking out of the back, pulling her hair up.

She wasn't wearing her typical outfit. Her coal black hair was tied back into a long pony-tail. She was wearing a blue three-quarter sleeve shirt, proudly showing off her bracelets. The ends of her sleeves where like angel sleeves. She had tight black jeans that were tucked under her tall, shiny, black leather boots.

Scooting past Wally, she sat down at the pilots seat, taking the controls off auto-pilot.

Wally liked Diana, he did. She was sweet and attentive. Different than the rest of the League, she was down to earth. Despite the fact that they were both hurdling above the surface of that earth in an invisible jet. Oh well.

"Nothin' but the... well, the sky... beautiful." He pieced the quip together.

She laughed, then turned back to the controls. Straightening, Wally walked over. "Boy, do you have a jet?"

"Wally please, what do you what?" she continued, not giving him the satisfaction.

"You and Bruce are close, right?" once she nodded he continued, "did he ever tell you about Robin going undercover before?"

"No. Nothing like that." she answered quickly.

"Com'on Diana. I've been worried sick about the little guy!"

Her piercing blue eyes were soft as they looked into Wally's pleading green ones.

"When he was leaving the Mount, I walked out with him and we talked for a few minutes." Wally explained, "But he was serious, I mean really serious. Then I asked him if he had ever been on any undercover assignments before. He clammed up! Wouldn't say anything, wouldn't even look at me. Begged me to change the subject, but I didn't so he blew me off like 15 minutes from town saying that 'he couldn't be seen with Kid Flash'. Or 'it would be bad if I...' or something."

They flew in silence for a few minutes, Diana choosing her reply word for word. "Listen Wally," she turned to him, "if anything had gone wrong in any previous assignments, do you think that that would stop Robin this time? And if he wasn't ready, do you really think that Batman would put him on this one?"

She made sense. _Dangit. I hate it when people make sense._ "Yes, and probably not." was all he could muster to reply.

"S, you think that, even if something traumatic occurred, Robin would still force himself to play the role-"

"For the good of the team." he interjected. His answer interested her, so she prodded him to continue. "Anyone else, you can forget it. Well, Bats told him to... so if anyone else, you can forget a full minded Robin." he stammered, not putting his phrases together.

"Why could you forget about a 'full minded Robin'?"

"Because the other half of his freakishly large brain inside his freakishly smart cranium would be busy missing us!" he proudly stated. His confidence caused Diana to smirk.

"Well, there you have it. You my sir, just answered yourself. Even if something had bothered Robin on any previous missions, he is to smart to let it bother him on this one." she concluded.

Wally didn't like that, not at all. He saw The Boy Wonder's change, he heard Rob's voice when he replied to Wally's question. Whatever it was, it was still bothering him enough to let it show. And letting anything show meant that it was bad. But, the teen soon realized that he wasn't going to get anywhere with Diana, so he thanked her for her help, and left.

_She was hiding something. And I'm gonna'_- his thoughts were interrupted by Meghan's voice. _Wally! You need to come back on board!_ "But I am back on board." he said as he stepped forward, moving to his chair.

"Oh. Right." was her sheepish reply.

"I couldn't stay away from you too long beautiful..." he said, staring at her while his chair grew around him. "Uh, why'd you need me in the first place?"

"We are fast approaching Las Angeles." Kaldur said.

"Oh, uh, I knew that!" Wally teased.

"Mm-hmm, yeah, and that's why you were over there flirting over there with the Princess." Artemis growled angrily.

"What? No! We were just talking..."

"Oh really! Yeah cuz you 'just talking' to hot females is really like you!"

"What's your problem?"

"Oh, I'm not the one with the problem." she finished, crossing her arms and setting her jaw to on side. Wally was about to react, and Kaldur was about to stop the feud, but Meghan spoke first.

"H-hey!" She excitedly panted. Wally was the first to break the glare between him and Artemis as he turned to look out the window. Conner took Artemis' earphones out, the music on her Ipod still blaring. Both the archer and Kaldur looked at the windows.

"Uh, Meghan, I don't see.." Artemis began to object, but was stopped by Wally.

"No, look down!" he joyfully said, sitting up in his seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I welcome you to Sin City." Diana's voice came over the radio.


	9. Let's Play Cars

**Please Please keep the reviews comin! I need to know that y'all are listening!**

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.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 9.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Let's Play Cars**

**?**

**August 12, 5:37 EDT**

Caleb cringed at the bright lights as he covered his face from the glow.

It grew dark, then it shone again. It grew dark again, quicker this time, and shone again, but not as furiously this time. The black in the background became gray as his mind started translating the sights and sounds of were he was.

_A dream, it was only a dream..._

He was laying on his back, his body was jerking this way and that. He was in some sort of truck on a not well-paved road. His eyes popped open when he felt a cold hand on his neck.

Reaching up, he grabbed it's wrist. "Ah! Caleb!" Grace loudly panted. She was merely checking his pulse, but it was his distinct Batman trained reaction that caught her off guard.

Painfully, he sat up and rubbed his head. "More like a nightmare..." He wasn't sure if the world was spinning or if it was just his noggin. Tilting it, he looked about, taking in his surroundings.

Just as he suspected, he was in the trailer of a truck, and judging the length from one end to the other, it looked like an eighteen wheeler.

There was one little window that sat high on the right wall if you were facing the head of the truck. A light raced along the inside of the trailer, and Caleb gathered that it was from street lights when they drove by. It was night, where ever they were. _Typical_.

He coughed hoarsely several times, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. He tasted dry blood. _That's gross._

"Caleb...er, Robin, I thought..." poor Grace tried struggled to get the words out.

"I'm fine." he shakily assured her as he sat up again. Slowly rising, he braced himself with one hand on the wall. "What happened?" he asked her.

"I don't know... Greg and I... eh, we were studying, and... he just jumped at me. He was holding some long, pointy thing." she watched Caleb fiddle in a zipped pocket and pull out a phone.

"Score." he smirked and held it in front of his face, trying to get a signal, "com'on work, work." his thoughts went back to when Batman gave him the phone while the Boy Wonder was preparing to leave for this whole operation...

_ "This is a miniature radio." Batman stated plainly, giving the boy a simple phone. Robin took and examined it. "It's speed dials are set for each of the members of your teams specific radio frequency, it is impossible to track, and it has a several additional ringer modes. _

_ The first mode will silently send a message to your glasses, which have both night and body heat sensors._

_ The second will send an alter, and automatically patch you into the conversation through an ear piece, which can also detect if someone is attempting to tamper with the reception._

_ Without your belt, this is your lifeline in case something should go wrong. Keep it with you at all times." he commanded sternly._

_You see, there's no way that you can't work._ He fumed mentally at the little machine. "Then what?" he asked Grace to continue her story.

"Then what what?"

"What happened after he jumped you? Do you know what the pointed object was, what do you know about him...do you have **any** idea where we are?"

"Well, I remember the last time I looked at the clock it was five forty-two, now," she glanced at her digital watch, "it's five fifty-seven. In the morning." she paused for dramatic effect.

"What day is it?" he muttered to her.

"The thirteenth. You were out for a day."

"Strong stuff and it's been just over twelve yours..." he looked at her with a question in his expression. "Keep going."

"Oh yeah, well, we left my neighborhood, drove for like sixteen minutes, then went around some round, I'm assuming highway entering on-rap thing. And we've been driving straight, spotless since then."

Caleb stared at her. He expected some smart-alack response like "We're in the back of a truck and we've been driving long enough for you to catch your beauty sleep" or something. Nothing like that. "Um. Are you sure?"

"I have an infallible sense of direction and a watch." she said, suppressing a yawn. Slowly, she tried to stand and walk over to him. Talking about what she was good at and confident about made her relaxed, chilled.

"I didn't say that I doubt you." this might not end up to be a disaster. Usually when he was with Batman doing his whole Robin thing, both him and Bruce were always sure to leave the civilians out of it. But Caleb was stuck with her, whether he liked it or not. And she wasn't that bad, in fact, she had changed dramatically since she learned what was really going on.

"Com'on guys." he turned away from Grace, the phone to his ear. "Somebody pick up..." he muttered pleadingly. _Sigh _"Well, none of the Leaguers are answering, but I left a message with our coordinates." he rattled off, talking to Grace like she was one of his team members.

"The who aren't answering? Oh, wait." he looked up at her as she smiled, pointing a finger in the air as the trailer swayed to one side. Caleb watched her finger as he scanned the wall that faced him. "We're leaving the highway." she said as she braced herself.

"You sure?" he joked with her while typing on his phone.

"Oh yeah. We're going..." tears came to her eyes. "I don't know. Wow, I just..." her voice began shaky as it trailed off.

Caleb looked back up to her, worried.

"So all that stuff that you said. About my dad and the French m-mf." Her mouth was covered by Caleb's quick hand. She looked at him and he subtly shook his head.

Slowly, he mouthed "Act dumb" to her. Once she nodded in understanding he dropped his hand, stumbling back slightly. The sudden dash toward her did a number to his already disconcerted brain. Shaking it slightly, he continued typing. "Ack. It's no use, I need a stronger signal..."

"Je ne peuxpas croire ce." she rambled off.

"What did you say?" Caleb asked, his voice serious.

"I can't believe this...?" she answered questioningly.

"What language was that?" he straightened, pointing to her. He didn't want to believe what he thought.

"French?"

"How do you...?"

"Well, I am French."


	10. Un Moment A Moment

**Okay so I'm submitting chapters, but they will be in the afternoons during school days, and there prob won't be any on Weds. School, school, and church.**

**(If you have ever happened to see the 2005 version of Doctor Who then you already know the American. ^^)**

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.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 10.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Un Moment**

**?**

**August 13, 6:12 EDT**

"You're French?" he asked her, astounded.

"Yeah. Have been my whole life. My mom was her whole life too." her tone demonstrated that she was tired, and had concern over his reaction. His demonstrated that he was wide awake, and had concern for their safety.

"You do know that-" he stopped himself. He couldn't tell her, could he? He never said that the French mafia was were the people after her, he was careful not to mention names.

But, what if she was part of it? What if it was a trap, and her dad was involved? Jennifer Blye was giving her information to the French mob, and the daughter of her supposed killer was French too? Was it just a coincidence? It had to be. She was just a girl, a rich girl, who was kidnapped.

"Do you have anything to do with this?" he blurted out, uncontrollably. _Dangit._

"Do _I_ have anything to do _this_? Really? How can you- _I_ am kidnapped and stuck in the back of an eighteen wheeler with the Boy Wonder and-"

"Grace! I don't like it any more than you do but I'm stuck here and I need to be sure that I can trust you if I'm gonna' get the both of us out! Now tell me if you had anything to do with this!" his booming voice drowning her's out easily. When she gave no more than a raise of her eyebrows as a response, he continued, angrier than before. "CAN I?"

"Yes! You can! Okay?" Grace broke down into tearful sobs as she wrapped her arms around herself as she sank down. "Happy?" she screamed.

"Grace, I..."

"No, I know what you wanted! You just want to..."

"Stop! Just stop. You don't know..." his piercing words and harsh tone was about to say 'anything', but something stopped him. She was just a girl. Sitting next to her, Caleb put his hand on her shaking shoulder. "It'll be okay. I'll get us out." he comforted between her sobs.

He darned himself for getting so close to her. He really felt like he was her big, well little, brother. He was her protector, her guardian. It was up to him to keep her safe, no matter what. For the first time in several days, he realized what his mission was all about. She was important, precious. if the mob thought that they could get what they wanted, if her dad was to talk, it would be disastrous for both Batman and him.

Both Dick Greyson and Bruce Wayne's pictures would litter the TV and internet. Bruce would be tried for Batman violating laws. Dick would be hunted day and night by those that want to get revenge at Bats.

He sighed, taking it all in. What was he to do? He couldn't fight, he couldn't call for help. He couldn't help. Surely as soon as Grace and him arrived where ever they were going, there'd be a camera with a chair waiting for Grace. He would get shoved to the side as they recorded her, crying, and the vid would go viral. There would be no stopping it.

_You don't know how important you are..._ he gazed down at Grace as her head collapsed onto his shoulder between sniffs. Pleadingly, he looked at the tiny little window.

It was bright out. It was morning. He actually slept all through the night. But had she? He looked down at her, and gently stroked her wavy brown hair so he could see her eyes. She was asleep. Either that or very relaxed. It was sleep, not even he was that chilled.

Looking up as the truck stopped, he remembered that Grace did said that they turned off the highway. Using his finely tuned senses, Caleb heard the roar of many other truck engines as they started and stopped. He smelled the easily definable stench of gasoline. They were at a gas station.

He searched around, following voices as the drivers walked along the outside of the trailer. They were rattling off in French, so he could only pick out a word or two. They were talking about food. Caleb concluded that they were either typical guys, and since they were French, they weren't. So then they were stopped to get a bite to eat.

He cursed his stomach for growling. He never had dinner, he hardly ate any lunch, and now was missing breakfast. But that was the least of his concerns. If the drivers had a break, away from the truck, that could give Grace and him the chance they needed to escape. Well, at least call for help.

The door to the trailer rolled and clanged as it opened. Two guys stood in the opening surveying the inside. Grace and the other kid were asleep, each curled up with their backs against opposite walls, facing each other. The kid's faces were conveniently covered by their hands, knees, or arms, and the men couldn't tell that they were looking at the other, the boy mouthing commands.

Grace nodded with her eyes by blinking twice. He had instructed her to remember what their abductors were saying, and translate it later, when he asked.

"Hey!" One guy yelled, slapping the inside of the wall with the flat of his hand. His voice was scratchy, and deep. He was easily annoyed, and had little control of his anger. Caleb was impressed how Grace kept herself from jumping after the noise. It almost caught him off guard. "Wake up!"

Caleb said no to her, then shook his head slightly to make sure the point was across. They wouldn't wake up. Not yet, the men needed to believe that they were docile.

"They're really out." Caleb recognized the voice as Grégoire's. It took everything inside him not to strangle the character. He studied Grace who lay motionless, her face unchanged. Grégoire was her boyfriend, she would be more disturbed than he was. The boy was impressed even more and started having faith in her performing abilities.

"What do we do?" the first guy asked.

"Why don't you make 'um wake up Grégoire?" a third voice yelled from off somewhere. This one was mister 'trying to be funny'. His voice was like that of what you would consider to be the typical American dude. _Traitor_.

"You're an idiot." Grégoire muttered.

"Yeah, pucker up for some sugar!" the scratchy voiced man teased.

"Wait, you know we're talkin' about kissin' the girl right?" the man in the distance man laughed. After which he cursed at the machine for ceasing to pump the gas quick enough.

"You're all idiots! Just close it up! And be sure you actually lock it this time!" Grégoire fumed as he walked out of sight.

Caleb smiled an evil smirk. He had remained expressionless this entire time, but he felt the fact that their abductors didn't even lock the door pretty amusing.

Grace and him felt the trailer rumble as he door was closed, and heard the voices outside walk around to the left, near the gas pump. Raising his head, he looked to make sure they were, in fact, alone. Smiling, he and Grace met eyes as she too sat up. "Having fun yet?" he asked.

She giggled, then covered her mouth. After which she proceeded to giggling, only quieter, as she shook her head violently.

He smiled at her obvious countenance of entertainment. _Amateur._


	11. Wayne Boy?

**BE CAREFUL! this is where the mystery starts, and the first of the clues, so PAY attention! ;)**

**Again, tell me what y'all think!**

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.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 11.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Wayne Boy?**

**?**

**August 13, 6:45 EDT**

Caleb waited, listening to the voices. He silently scooted over to Grace who was pressing her ear against the wall. He motioned a circle with his hands, beckoning her to translate. Her face got a "oh" look and she shot a finger in the air.

"I can't believe you guys, you're so dumb." she slowly whispered. Caleb recognized the voice as **Grégoire's**.

"Oh whatever. Hey, let's go get some food." the scratchy voiced guy said.

"I'm with him." the American agreed.

"No you're not. We'll go get food and you feed the truck. We've got a ways to go till we get to Vegas, and I don't want to stop again." **Grégoire** commanded, his voice full of annoyance.

_Bingo_. _We're going to Vegas. _Caleb looked up at Grace and grinned.

"You're not the boss, ya' know. I'm hungry, and I'm gonna' eat." the same man said.

Caleb stood and walked about the trailer, piecing what he knew together. Grace was still whispering away, not even paying attention to him. Then he realized, she was translating in her natural French accent. He heard no hint of it the several days that he had been with her.

"Why don't you have an accent normally? Grace?" he snapped in front of her face to get her attention.

"Wha-?"

"Why don't you have an accent?" he asked again.

"My dad told me that I couldn't have one. He said that I can't even speak it and he made me get rid of the accent when my mom disappeared..." she more asked than answered.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Oup, They're gone for breakfast."

Caleb relaxed. They were alone. Grace sat there interested in what he was doing, but was also dozing. Caleb, however, was busy searching about the trailer, trying to find away out.

Thirty minutes went by, then they heard the deep clank of the lock on the door.

They both turned to stare in shock at the door as it opened. There was a man standing in the entrance. He was tall, very well built, and had black hair that was slightly wilder than Speedy's.

"Well, look who woke up." he said simply.

Caleb recognized the voice to be that of the man who was hungry and commanded to fill the truck. "Look who lost the bet." he quipped.

"Well yeah. 'Bosses' orders. You know. You guys hungry?"

"Ye-" Grace burst forward.

Caleb expertly held her back. "We're fine."

"Oh, com'on. I know you're not."

"You're right, we're not." Grace growled at Caleb shoving past his arm.

He only stared. The guy put a hand out to Grace, and it wasn't a 'here, I'll help you down' hand. "Stop right there." Bringing his other hand forward, he moved his leather jacket out of the way, revealing a handgun that was pushed into his belt.

"Grace!" Caleb called to her.

"Please." the man put forcibly.

She froze when she saw it. Her big eyes stared as Caleb grabbed her shoulders, pulling her deeper into the trailer and behind him. _Dangit_ He was planning on taking advantage of the open doors to escape, but he couldn't risk an untrained civilian getting hurt.

"Now, are you hungry?" he asked again, raising two small paper bags.

"And if we aren't?"

"I'm not asking you."

"She's scared to talk to mean people, so you'll have to listen to me. You have no idea who you're dealing with. We have friends, very close and immensely powerful friends. And when they realize that we're gone, they will not be happy. What ever you want, we don't have it and neither do they. You might as well let us go."

"Well sorry kiddo, it's not up to me. We were hired to get the girl, and you just happen to get in the way, and since we can't have anyone helpin' the cops, we had to grab you too. So, are you hungry or not?" he crossed his arms and leaned up against the side of the trailer half way through his explanation. Frequently leaning back to make sure that no one was coming, he dropped the bags on the floor of the trailer.

"Do you have any batteries?" Caleb asked like the it was the most expected thing.

"Any what?" both the guy and Grace asked in unison.

Caleb raised his eyebrows, waiting a response.

"Uh, why do you want batteries?" the man asked.

"Yeah?" Grace stared at Caleb over his shoulder. He was worried that she could see around his glasses, but she couldn't.

"Well, I have a dead Wayne Boy and listening to this chick ramble on can drive anyone crazy very very quickly."

The guy chuckled after seeing Grace's reaction. Taking his hand out of his pocket, he went to motion with it, but couldn't udder a word before Robin was out of the trailer, laying across the guy, pinning him to the ground.

The man groaned, Robin yelled, and Grace screamed.

"Grace GO!" He yelled over his shoulder to her. Robin moaned with pain as the guy grabbed his collar and threw him into the side of the trailer as Grace dropped out of the trailer. Dropping down Robin squatted on the gas pump nozzle as soon as the guy got out his gun. "Grace run." Robin demanded, still squatting.

"Get back in the truck or he gets a hole in him." the guy threatened, cocking his gun and pointing it at Robin.

"I bet you suck with that thing, you're not even holding it right." the Boy Wonder teased.

"Listen kid, I don't want to shoot you, but a hired hands gotta' do, what a hired hands gotta' do." he tightened his trigger finger.

"You won't pull it. Grace move." under his black shades he glared at her.

"Caleb-" she tried.

"Trust me. Now MOVE!" he hinted at what she know about him. Turning, she bolted off, first zipping around the back of the truck, and toward another gas station.

"Ah Dangit!" the guy yelled. An evil chuckle rang through the air as Robin jumped up, grabbed the top corner of the trailer, used that to flip himself over to the top. Dropping down to the ground on the other side, he sprinted off as soon as the guy rounded the back of the truck.

A shot rang through the air, making Grace scream and cover her ears. "Move!" she looked up and saw Caleb racing toward her. She slowed into a jog, speeding as she waited for him to catch up. Both of them sank down as bullets fired from an automatic weapon shot over their heads.

"Go go go!" He yelled, shoving her forward.

More bullets were whizzing around Grace as she ran. Glancing over her shoulder, she was stricken with terror. The world slowed, her eyes saw Caleb collapse to the ground, the second man kicked him to his back, then stood over him, waving an automatic gun at the small boy's chest.

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**I'll tell you there are only 21 chapters so far, and I'm finally wrapping it up. But that's so far! Its still goin' on, stay with me!**


	12. Viva Las Vegas!

**First off, sorry for not uploading yesterday. Was called to a friends house for the night because she has epilepsy and can't be home alone at night. So anyway, LOOK WHO SHOWED UP AT VEGAS!**

**I will most likely be uploading this weekend as well.**

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.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 12.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Viva Las Vegas**

**Las Vegas**

**August 13, 7:30 EDT**

Wally sat upright in his bed, breathing heavily. _It was just a dream._ Reaching up, he ran his fingers through his sweaty, red hair. Slapping his hands across his face, he groaned as he fell back onto the soft green and purple comforter of his bed.

He shared a room with Conner and Kaldur's room was on the other side of the living room.

When you entered the hotel room immediately to the right there was the kitchenette. It had a bar that closed the kitchen from the dining room. The dining room was more a dining area in that it only consisted of a large wooden table.

Other than the bar, there were no walls separating any of the 'rooms'.

Again, from the front door there was a thin walkway and along the left wall, that passed both the kitchen and the dining area.

Standing in the center of the large room, you were directed to walk straight into the tiny living room. It consisted of a large TV with several leather chairs.

Also when standing in the center of the area to your right the wall bent outward, as to direct you toward a bedroom, which was signified by a door along the awkwardly angled wall. Following the hallway further, there was a large bathroom with two smaller rooms inside. You know what I'm talking about, everyone has been in one.

The door to the living room/kitchenette/dining room opened as Wally stepped out, his crimson hair a complete disaster, and his fireman, flannel Pjs were wrinkled as they clung to his slow body. He blinked stupidly in the sunlight. Smacking his jaws, he watered his dry mouth as he rubbed his wincing eyes. Titling his head to the right slightly he stared at Artemis who was sitting in the living roon area. They stared at each other for several moments.

"WE'RE IN LAS VEGAS!"

At breakfast, Wally was rambling on and on talking about what all that they could do, all that he could get finally to do, and everything that he's always wanted to do. Finally Artemis told him to shut up, and he did. For two minutes. Annoyed out of her skull, her exact words, she stormed into her room.

"Where's M'Gann?" Conner asked Kaldur as Wally continued commentating on his dream.

"I have not seen her." the Atlantean responded. Just then the door behind the Conner's head opened as Diana walked in, wearing the same attire she wore yesterday. M'Gann at her heels wearing her normal 'civilian disguise'.

"Oh, you wouldn't believe what kind of shops there are to visit here! The buildings are so beautiful, the colors are so elaborate!" M'Gann elaborated as Diana put the bags on the counter and started unpacking the food.

"Mm, they can't be any more beautiful than you... uh, beautiful." Wally choked with his mouth full. M'Gann chuckled but was interrupted by Artemis yelling from the other room.

"I heard that!"

"Tell me why I care!" Wally shouted back.

"Like you care! It's not like you would be able to comprehend it even if you get it!"

"Exact- wait, what? What's it? Oh com'on Artemis!"

Conner, with hypnotized eyes, watched M'Gann carry on, as Kaldur stood to put the dishes away. No one was helping the Princess, and where he came from, that was unacceptable.

"Oh no you don't! I got it!" Wally chugged the rest of his orange juice down while zooming around the table from the sink and back.

"Oh, well someone's in a good mood. Hoping that going on a stake out won't damper that cheery disposition." Diana casually said.

"Only if we get to explore a wedding chapel." he titled his head onto the Princess' shoulder.

"Get ready. Kaldur, you go with M'Gann and survey the east side of the strip. Conner take M'Gann with you and study the west. Wally and I will take the outer rim of the city." Diana instructed as Artemis walked in from her room.

"What and whom exactly are we looking for?" she crossed her arms in front of her and leaned on the door-frame.

"Well, since we don't have pictures of the suspects, just watch for anything suspicious."

" Oh yeah, cuz nothing suspicious eve happens in Vegas." she waved her hands in the air as she returned to the room.

"It appears that we have traveled half way across the United States, only to receive our usual 'observe and report' orders." Kaldur mentioned.

"For now, yes. Observe and report." Diana confirmed.

"A long trip for no reason." Supey grumbled as he walked to his room.

"Oh help me." Diana prayed as the rest of the teems disbursed to get ready.

"So..." Wally said as him and Diana walked along the large, gray sidewalk. "Ever been here before?" they were venturing along the streets of a town. The road was two lanes, the yards were grass-less, and the houses were tan to match. They were definitely in the desert.

"No. And for good reason." Diana said as they stopped. "How could someone allow themselves to be used like this? A show for the mortal man's entertainment. What kind of woman permit themselves to be enslaved like this." she asked innocently, truly concerned.

"Man's entertainment..." Wally trailed off. He felt Diana looked at him and he turned to gaze back. She dropped her head as she past him again. "You wanted to talk."

"Wha-? He asked dumfounded.

"About Robin. You wanted to -" her statement was broken half-way as she put her hand to her ear. "Go on Bruce. Yeah we made it last night... everything is-What? Where? ...You sure? Where are they? … how can you not, okay. I'll tell the team." turning, her eyes looked at Wally.

"Grace, Ross' daughter, is gone."

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**Yes, I know y'all already knew that but I originally had Diana say "Robin is gone." but Bats would notice that she was gone before Rob. He's always hiding anyway. ;)**


	13. You're a What Now?

**I know it's early on a Saturday, but I'm up, so it's not that bad. Anyway, I am going to some babysitting thing all morning and I look forward to coming home and seeing a bunch of visitors and hits and reviews and stuff. Thanks for Reading!**

**Btw, What's the deal with Young Justice? Is the season over already?  
**

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**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 13.®.®.®.®.®.**

**You're a What Now?**

**? ? ?  
**

**August 13, 7:32 EDT**

Caleb breathed deeply, staring into the man's eyes. His glare pierced right through the barrel of the heavy weapon. He was already shot in the shoulder, and if this thing went off, his insides would be macaroni in under a millisecond.

The man's gray suit jacket was stained with fresh coffee and his scruffy brown hair clashed with his burning eyes. Those were strange in of themselves. One half of the pair was blue and the other was black. Staring at them reminded Dick of those belonging to the man that murdered his family.

He heard Grace struggle as the American grabbed her. He watched as **Grégoire's** scowled taunted him. _They were so close, what went wrong?_

"**Make sure that he can't escape again.**" the brat commanded as he walked away.

The man pointed the gun from Caleb's chest, and targeted it at the boy's head. But the child was not done yet. They had tried too hard and gotten too close to give up. He had easily taken down scores of these men with bigger weapons many a time before.

Bringing his legs up, he kneed the man in the back, thus the man's knee that was on the child's arm was lifted. This allowed Robin to grab the gun with one hand and sucker punch the man square in the face with his second.

Throwing the giant being off him, Robin was thrown back himself after being side kicked in the ribs by Grégoire. After rolling backwards and catapulting off his hands, the youth ninja recovered at a startling rate. Standing, he sprinted toward Grace.

Grégoire stared in shock, that was a hard kick.

_That was nothing._

His nose bleeding, his head throbbing, and his shoulder stinging like crazy, The Boy Wonder was on a roll. But it was broken when the American pointed his hand-gun to Grace's head, threatening to fire if the boy came any closer.

Robin's hands went back to his waist instinctively, but he wasn't wearing his utility belt. Dropping to the ground, his slid to a stop and rolled the last foot of area. The move, though painful, halting him quicker than any other way would have.

"There we go." the American soothed as if he was trying to calm the entire situation. As soon as Caleb was down, the man put his gun away. The child detected that the American, though strong, didn't like his weapon. Nor did he enjoy waving it at kids.

Grace, who had been relatively quiet so far, screamed, "CALEB!"

He turned just in time to see the but of a gun strike him in the face. He fell, unconscious.

Grace yelled and struggled to get to him, but the American's strong arms held her back. Raising her foot she kicked him in the knee, then proceeded to jab him with her elbow.

Running, she dropped by Caleb's bleeding body, and immediately reset his glasses back onto his face, disguising her movements as brushing his hair coal to the side.

Grégoire laid his hand on her shoulder. She wanted to break every bone in it. "So, are you gonna' be a good amienow?" he mocked the girl motioning to Caleb.

"You paunt** tas de morve et grosse** **merde**!" she yelled at him standing up to meet him face to face. Flaming eyes met infuriated ones.

"You watch your tongue girl!" he raised a hand to slap her, but she didn't flinch. "So, is that how it's gonna'-"

**SLAP**

The two men rushed forward and easily drug Grace Emilia Ross back. She went with them like a rag-doll. She had no motive in trying to escape, no reason to fight back. She was beyond enraged but content with a painful slap across the face of her captivator.

"YOU LITTLE-!" but Grégoire's words were interrupted by distant sirens. "The **flic**! Quick get them in the truck!"

"Both?" the American asked as he gently forced Grace away from Caleb

"Yes the both of them you moron! Geez Jack, I would think that a once was con would know a thing or two."

"Hey, not going there." Jack said, escorting Grace back to the trailer.

The big man that was well dressed, threw Caleb over his large shoulder.

"Hey, careful with him Bruno. The kid's already shot." Jack corrected the man's harsh movements.

"Oh don't you start getting all soft." Grégoire climbing into the truck.

"Hey, you go drive. I'm gonna' stay back and make sure the kid's all right. And no, I'm not hungry! And I especially don't want any food! THANKS FOR ASKING!" he yelled up to Grégoire who was only honking the horn over Jack's sarcasm.

Jack closed the door behind him as Bruno ran to the front and sat in the driver's seat.

Grace stared at him as they roared off. She had Caleb's head in her hands, and she wasn't about to give it up.

"Okay, look. I know you're mad, but right now you're friend's hurt and needs help."

"And you're gonna' help? Right... you expect me to believe that like I'm stupid or something." Grace was both stubborn and was convinced that she was right.

After a few minutes of close-minded arguing, Jack was annoyed of talking and tired of not helping.

"Listen!" He forcefully got her attention, but wasn't rude about it. He slowly reached his arm around his back.

Grace jumped and grabbed Caleb closer. She was not about to allow them to get shot in the back of a trailer. But the American didn't pull out what the frightened girl was expecting.

A badge shimmered despite the dim light in the trailer.

Jack quietly explained. "I'm an undercover cop."


	14. Things Get Juicy

**So off to church, here's a chapter.**

**I think this is the first multi place chapter thing that I've done. But be forewarned, it's not the last.**

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.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 14.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Things Get Juicy**

**Las Vegas**

**August 13, 7:28 EDT**

"What?" Artemis yelled into her phone.

"Are you sure?" Conner asked into his earpiece.

"Yes, ARE you sure? Tell me that you're wrong!" M'Gann pleaded to the rest of her team, delicately placing her fingertips on either side of her red hair.

"Everyone rendezvous back at the hotel ASAP." Kaldur commanded into his sleeve cuff.

"Yes, I'm sure- okay we'll be there... CALM DOWN! Everyone meet at the hotel!" Wally tried to keep up with everyone. "Yeah, you were right. We should have told them one at a time."

Diana chuckled as she flew over a wall separating someone's backyard from the city streets. Wally took his blue-tooth duplicate out and proceeded to rub his ear as he jumped over said wall. "I've never heard so much chatter."

"It's good to see that your team members care so much for Robin." she commented, jumping into the air and gliding above the sidewalk.

"Man, you look so good doing that..."

She rolled her eyes as they both sped toward the hotel.

**? ? ?  
**

**August 13, 7:28 EDT**

"You're a what now?" Jack grabbed Caleb from Grace's stunned arms.

"Yes, I'm an undercover cop. Emphasizing the _undercover_ and the _cop_." he stressed as he removed Caleb's black, leather jacket. It wasn't leather at all though. His outer layer was made of titanium-steel, the same material that made his cape. It was bullet proof, but not at point-blank.

Managing to take of the boy's sweat-shirt, Jack peeling the sticky cloth of Caleb's shoulder. The hole was pretty well scabbed and high on the shoulder. Jack figured that there wouldn't be any permanent damage, just a lot of uncomfortable moments.

Taking his own leather jacket off, Jack removed his white short sleeve-shirt. Expertly and easily he tore it into three or four inch wide shreds.

Grace watched him and she, even though she has yet to admit it, was both astounded and flabbergasted by the guys six-packs. Both of theirs.

"Pretty good for a kid." Jack absent-mindlessly remarked on the 'kid's' muscles.

"Yeah." Grace whispered to herself. Jack looked up at her, followed her eyes and grinned.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing." he cheerfully shrugged it off.

"What?" she smiled as he stood and stepped over the body, sitting on Caleb's other side. Grace moved too, so that she could watch. Watch to make sure that Jack wasn't hurting her friend and making sure if that only! J

Jack worked in silence for the remainder of the 'operation'.

**Las Vegas**

**August 13, 8:14 EDT**

Conner and M'Gann were the last to arrive at the hotel. "What's this about Robin missing?" the Martian spoke up half way through the door that Conner opened for her.

Diana was standing in the center of the tiny 'living room'. The large TV was to her back and Kaldur was sitting on one of the leather chairs. Wally was leaning up on the corner of the wall, where it bent in order to open up the kitchen. Artemis was sitting on the top of another chair, her feet resting on the seat, and her elbows on her knees.

"I got a call from Batman who told me that he had received an alert. It was a text from Robin. The thing is, the message was sent this morning at 5:40."

"So?" Artemis asked, folding her hands hands in front of her.

"So, Batman received it while we were talking."

"The text was sent more than three hours ago." Wally interjected. He was fast getting annoyed by the archer's attitude. Well, everything about him was fast.

"Why did he just know get it?" M'Gann floated down on a chair as Conner stood there, arms crossed.

"Well, either Batman's phone was on vibrate and he didn't feel it, or something was blocking the radio signal." Wally said as he rearranged his position against the wall. "From Robin, not Batman's signal."

"Do we know what the message said?" Kaldur asked, speaking for the first time the whole conversation.

"No, Batman didn't tell me, he only said the Robin wasn't where he should be."

"So Bats could just have jumped to crazy conclusions." Artemis exclaimed abandoning her chair as she left the room.

The group stared at one another.

"Her remarks carry a heavy point."

"Agreed." Conner and M'Gann.

"You're kidding me, really?" Wally yelled at them. "You're not gonna' help! This is Robin we're talking about right?"

"Wally please, we did not say that we were not going to assist him, but there is nothing that we can do. We don't know where he is located, or if he is any danger. We are not even sure if he is missing." Kaldur tried to explain.

"Batman said he is and that's not enough for you?"

"Kaldur's right. Wally please, we can't help if we don't know what to do." M'Gann attempted to calm the speedster down, but to no avail.

"Everyone." everyone in the room looked at the Princess. "We have **more **news from Batman."


	15. Upgrade to the Mature Hero League

**So this is probably my favorite Wally chapter so far. You'll just have to read it and fine out why! ;)**

**And please review, I want to know what y'all think! **

**Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SWIRLHEARTY23! Well, early, but two days so whatever! HAPPY EARLY B-DAY TO MY FAV REVIEWER!**

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**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 15.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Upgrade to the Mature Hero League**

**Vegas**

**August 13, 8:31 EDT**

They all turned to see Batman teleport into the room. Standing, the team stared at one another for several seconds. They didn't know what to do, much less how to respond. Naturally, Diana was the one to break the silence.

"Batman, can we talk?"

They all suffered a "whoa, hold on that's not what you were supposed to say" moment.

Bruce nodded and him and the Princess stepped out of ear shot. Wally turned to Conner.

"Conner, dude, use your super ears to listen or something."

"But, I don't think..." Conner tried to reply. He wanted to listen, to use his immense power for something that didn't involve destroying things. Maybe, he could help the team, give them something that they want.

"I do not believe that that is a wise choice." Kaldur said grasping Conner's arm. "It is very obvious that they do not wish to be heard."

"But, if Batman REALLY didn't want to be heard, then he would have taken Wonder Woman somewhere where Conner couldn't hear them. I mean, he is the Batman, he's too smart for that." M'Gann protested.

"But would it also make sense that Batman trusts us to handle the situation like the adults that we are expected to resemble. We are given greater responsibilities then any other children our age, and we should be careful not to over step our bounds." Kaldur commented.

Every one understood what he was saying, but even fewer agreed. Every one but Wally. They were talking about Robin, his Rob, and he needed to know. But even though he knew The Boy Wonder's identity, that didn't make him any more special than any one else. The wise thing to do would be to wait. Batman would tell them what they needed to know, and the rest was none of their bee's wax.

"Kaldur's right." Wally forced himself to say. All though his eyes stared at the floor he could feel them all watching in disbelief.

"Okay then." Kaldur concluded, noting Wally's mature response. "The matter is settled."

It was torture waiting for Bruce and Diana to finish. At times you would think that you understood a word, but the rest didn't even sound English. It would be better if they did just leave like M'Gann said. Then there wouldn't be the thing in the back of your mind saying that Conner could listen. M'Gann could even listen then tell all of you.

"Ugh." Wally groaned. He looked back to see Batman and Diana walking toward them.

They all stood in anticipation, again.

"Please, tell us how we may assist you in locating Grace and Robin." Kaldur pleaded.

"Assist? Tell us where he is and let US go get him! Um, them. Vegas is clean, so why are we still wasting time here!" the anxiety had gotten the best of the over-anxious speedster. He was ordering Batman what to do and jumping to unclear, probably wrong, conclusions about their mission assignment.

"And you're perfectly sure that the entire city of Las Vegas is clean of any French mob related activity." Batman shoved it back into Wally's face. "The situation concerning Robin is still undefined. Until I receive more information your orders are the same. Ob-"

"-serve and Report." the entire team said in unison, cutting The Dark Knight off.

"Exactly. But be assured, when I do receive more details you will be informed." at this point he turned to acknowledge Wally. "Go change, then come with me."

Poor Wally had no choice to follow to his inevitably doom. Heading for his room, he felt like the floor was collapsing around him. He could barely walk. Grabbing his stomach in pain, he slowly forced himself to continue. _Can't be weak. Robin, Rob is strong._

Finally and after changing, eating, doing random stretches to waist time, and eating some more, he walked out of the hotel room so see Bruce Wayne leaning up again the opposite wall. "Walk with me."

And Wally did.

"I heard that you mentioned Dick to Diana. Want to clarify what you were looking for."

"That's what this is about? It's not about torturing me for being so dumb and acting like a complete moron?" Wally felt dizzy with disbelief.

"Sounds like you've tortured yourself enough. No, this about what you asked Diana." Bruce reassured.

"Well, all I asked was...wait! You're gonna' explain to me what went wrong on Rob's last mission aren't you?" Wally was beaming. Relieved that he wasn't going to get a guilt trip, and ecstatic that he was going to learn THE big secret. Well, other than THE bigger secret, which involves a mask and a name.

"I think you need to know. You've earned it, and more importantly you need a clear head for the remainder of your mission." of course Batman was right. Telling Wally would be best for himself, his sanity, his team. And gangs did tend to get violent...

_ Wait. What about Rob? I mean, this is about him, but what about him?_

"Wait." Wally stopped dead in his tracks. "What about Rob?"

"What about him?" Bruce clarified, turning back to the kid.

_Oh, here we go again._ "How would he feel about you telling me. How would he feel about me knowing?" He slapped himself for not thinking of that sooner.

"**Would** he feel? And... how do you think he **would** feel?" Bruce emphasized.

"Oh, does he feel. Whatever. But, I mean, if he trusts me enough to reveal..." he waved his hand around his eyes, "this. Then I guess... I don't know! It depends on how serious **it** was, what happened. During **it**. I can't tell." Wally was severely struggling. He wanted to know so badly. But he didn't want to jeopardize what trust Dick had with him.

_ He was Robin, IS Robin, trained by the Batman. That means that they would be similar, right? And if they were similar, then Robin will tell me when he feels like I need to know. And if not, then it's not any of __m__y__ bee's wax._

_ "_Sorry Mister Wayne, but I'll let Rob tell me when he feels that it's right." Wally's voice was choked, his hands were clammy and shaking. The same adrenaline that was pumping through his veins in excitement was now trying to convince himself that he was right. That his decision was right.

But it all went away when he saw Bruce's smile. The Batman was pleased, yet again, with the child's high level of maturity and levelheadedness. Wally's decision showed that Robin was right all those times that The Boy Wonder elaborated on how not self-centered or serving his best friend was. Wally was always that last person that he cared about, and now Bruce saw that for himself.

"Wally, when the time comes, Richard will tell you. There's no way that he couldn't."

Wally grinned as Bruce escorted the **teen** back to the room. He wasn't a kid. Not anymore.


	16. That's Why I'm Still Alive

**Attention! Attention! I skipped a chapter! You see, I already have the book typed out and to submit it I just upload the individual chapters as I send them in. But I accidently skipped one!**

**So here's what I'm gonna do. I am going to delete "You Roll Your Dice, You Move Your Mice" and submit this chapter as number sixteen. Then I am going to re-submit Upgrade to it's rightful spot. **

**Sorry for any craziness!**

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**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 16.®.®.®.®.®.**

**That's Why I'm Still Alive**

**? ? ?  
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**August 13, 9:34 EDT**

Grace was looking around, casting her tired eyes here and there. Once the bandaging of Caleb was complete, Jack and her didn't have anything to talk about, well other than all the taking Caleb and her hostage, pointing guns and them, and shooting at them. And being an undercover cop the whole time. She was loaded with questions, accusations, and statements, but she wanted Robin to be conscious when she let it all loose. The whole thing was a bit whelming.

Her big brown eyes turned from curiously watching Jack to searching the tin-steel floor. The entire area was covered with Caleb's blood. Despite Jack's reassuring smile and seemingly confident words, she knew that her friend had lost a lot of blood and that the shot was worse than originally elaborated.

Her dark jeans were covered in a thin layer of the stuff, as where her hands and cheeks were she wiped her tears- I mean hair- out of her face.

She never liked blood. It didn't scare her and she understood that it was crucial for life, pumping through your heart and all that, and she was fine with the whole system. Just as long as the fluid stayed there.

But now was different. It was a friend's blood. That same crucial for life stuff had left their body, and that was never, ever, good.

Caleb was asleep now, and how she wanted him to wake up. She wouldn't do it though. She couldn't show fear or worry in front of this Jack guy. And besides Caleb was Robin, he'd been through worse than this before. Plenty of times. So he'll be fine. He'll wake up when he's ready, save her, and she'll be home, showered and sleeping in no time flat.

Grace wrapped her arms around her legs. She hoped so anyway.

Caleb stirred and Jack was over there instantly.

"Whoa kid, calm down. Rel-"

**BAMM**

Jack's soothing words were interrupted by Robin's fist in the American's face. The child then sprung into the air, landing on his hands. He was hoping to bounce off them and land beside Grace, but the routine didn't go as planned.

While he was mid-air, he put his arms forward to catch himself. A powerful sting shot through his shoulder. Groaning, he fell on his other shoulder with a thud. But before neither Grace nor Jack could react before the child had performed a roll and was squatting beside Grace, clutching his shoulder with a aching death grip.

"Caleb!" she crawled over to him as he collapsed, sitting on his legs. "You okay?"

_"Ow." "Why is he here?" "Grace get behind me." "Who are you?"_ and _"What happened?"_ were all running simultaneously through his spinning head. Instead of responding to Grace's worries, Caleb rubbed his noggin tenderly. "That was... painful." he muttered.

"Yeah, about that-" Jack tried to form an apology, but Caleb ignored him.

"How long was I out?" he asked Grace. She had a watch v. his phone that also had a watch. But his phone had no signal, had a dieing battery, and might be there only life-line.

Plus, he wanted some trick up his sleeve. An edge, one twist that the bad guys could never see coming. It was just a phone, but it was better than nothing.

"Uh," she glanced down at her wrist and did some quick math. "About two hours."

"Dawg." Caleb muttered. That was two hours too long. One of their captivators was in the trailer with them. He could have hurt Grace, and Robin cursed himself for letting that opportunity arise.

They sat in silence. Having the "third wheel", pun intended, definitely made things awkward.

"So, what do we know?" Caleb asked his kidnap buddy as he crossed his legs.

"Well, we've been traveling for about 21 hours." Grace started as she did the same.

"Greg is really some Grégoire guy, and you are not involved in any of this. At all."Caleb chimed in making a circular motion with his fingers.

"We're going to Vegas, and thank you."

"He's also not the boss of this two bit operation."

"His name is Jack, the other is Bruno." Grace motioned her head toward the American.

"Bruno has a temper. He's just obnoxious."

Grace giggled. "We're hungry." she grabbed her stomach. "Really hungry," she muttered.

"We learned that whoever is paying these idiots off has enough money for some extra artillery." Caleb was hungry too, but he had grown used to it during many a stake outs.

"They know how to use said artillery."

"Pretty well..." his shoulder was killing him.

"And he's an undercover cop." Grace casually summed up.

"What?"

"She's right, in more ways than one, smart girl." Jack piped up with a compliment.

"I don't get it. Why are you- wait, you're investigating the-" Caleb stopped himself. As relieved as he was, he couldn't risk giving any information. "Grace." he motioned her to him and as he wobbly stood and made his way toward the front of the trailer, as far away from Jack. "Don't trust him."

"Wha-? He's an undercover cop. Com'on we should." she immediately objected.

"Look, you don't know that for sure. He could be lying, trying to trick you. Trying to get information, trying to get us to drop our guards." He quietly yet sternly explained.

"Drop our guards? Why won't you just give him a chance? He has a badge and everything."

"And everything? And he's got a badge so what?" he got just as defensive as her.

"So what? And no, we should trust him-"

"Grace! Listen to me. I don't trust people okay? I'm sorry, but I don't. I'm not even sure... I don't trust anyone, and that's the only reason why I'm still alive."

His pint hit home. She should trust his judgment, he was Robin. But her reminiscing was interrupted when the trailer gave a violent jerk, throwing all of it's occupants.

Jack was thrown against the back, and Grace was thrown into Caleb's arms, again. But he was tossed into the wall, which put little wanted stress on his shoulder. He winced under the shades as he set her down.

"Well, that was fun. Thanks!" Jack pounded the wall as if he was trying to get the message all the way to the driver.

They grabbed their heads, groaning while the noise rung in their ears. Neither of them had eaten for 17 hours, they had very little, if any sleep, and the trailer was dirty, uncomfortable, and now bloody.

"Now, if you guys are done making love, I'll fill you in on the reason why I'm here."


	17. You Roll Your Dice, You Move Your Mice

**Okay, so here's another chapter. Do I really need to stay the obvious like every authors notes?**

**Sorry I didn't upload Tues cuz my mom was at a movie screening for the movie Courageous. So I couldn't get on.**

**And I didn't upload Weds, cuz it was Weds.  
**

**Anyway, another multi-person chapter. (Still not sure what I'm gonna call it... oh wells)**

**Please enjoy and tell me if you do!**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 17.®.®.®.®.®.**

**You Roll Your Dice, You Move Your Mice.**

**Nobody Gets Hurt.**

**? ? ?  
**

**August 13, 9:39 EDT**

The three of them were sitting in the high end of the trailer, closest to the truck. Grace was sleepily laying up against an end wall, Jack sitting with his back up against one of the long sides, and Caleb was watching them both intently.

"While listening to certain sources, and doing... other things, the DHS-" Jack started to explain why a supposedly undercover cop was kidnapping kids.

"Department of Homeland Security." Caleb mouthed.

"We, through different sources, confirmed that there's a mob with French origins, trafficking information about the..." he trailed off.

"About the what?"Grace asked. She was indulged in the story like it was the newest episode of her favorite crime show. Giving everything a false front, making the situation a show helped to keep her sane.

"I guess, I mean it's not like your gonna' tell anyone. Okay, promise you won't tell." the DHS officer was pleading with kids, and was resembling a kid himself while he did it.

Grace quickly nodded in approval, Caleb muttered a "sure." He wouldn't tell anything- to anyone other than Young Justice and the Justice League. And it's not like they didn't already know it all anyway, so technically he wouldn't be telling anyone, just refreshing them.

"Okay then. So there are these French guys, with big guns, and they're spying on the US government. They have someone who is feeding them the info, someone who is deep in culture, someone that we would never suspect... but we aren't sure who that someone is. That's why I'm undercover inside the operation."

"To find the snitch." Grace confirmed. Jack nodded while repeating her words.

Caleb chuckled to himself. They, the top elite in protecting the United States, didn't even know who was snitching inside their own organization. But the Justice League did, somehow they figured it out. Hah, take that politicians!

"That doesn't explain why you were hired to kidnap us." he continued. He was sure that Jack didn't know, and making the American confirm that he didn't was sweet poetic justice.

"Yeah, well that's because I can't. I don't know why we were hired, but **we** were. And it wasn't to kidnap "us". It was to kidnap her, **you** just got in the way." Jack corrected the steaming youth.

**Vegas**

**August 13, 9:45 EDT**

_"So? What did he say?"_ M'Gann asked Wally as Diana and him resumed their route. Miss M had been bugging him mentally for about an hour.

_"Yeah, do tell how long you're grounded for."_ Artemis snickered.

_"I already told you, it's not of your beeswax! And he didn't ground me good grief!" _Wally thought back. _"Why can't you people just let things go? Well, most of you are people..."_

_ "Oh my Gosh!"_ Artemis scolded.

_"Enough!"_ Kaldur warned them. _"This has gone on long enough, and you must concentrate."_

_ Oh yeah, you always gotta' take charge. _Wally groaned. It was hard without Robin, the little guy was always there to keep Wally out of trouble. The Boy Wonder always had his back. All of theirs.

"Stop." Conner muttered, putting his arm out to halt M'Gann. "Did you hear that?"

She listened attentively. "...No, oh hello M'Gann! You're superboy, you have super hearing!"

Conner slapped himself across the face. _D'oh__._ _Wait._ "There it was again!"

"But I don't hear... Superboy!" she flew after him as he sprinted away. _"Hello guys?"_

_ "What?" _Artemis asked.

_ "NO HE DIDN'T GROUND ME!" _Wally yelled.

_ "What no beaut-" _the archer continued but was cut of by Wally.

_ "Uh, beautiful."_

_ "What is it M'Gann?" _Kaldur asked.

_ "Geesh, it really is always business with you isn't it?" _KF wondered.

_ "Oh shut up!" _Artemis growled.

_ "GUYS! I think Superboy has found something!" _M'Gann stopped. Dropping the several inches to the ground she examined a large warehouse. Hesitantly peeking inside, she called for Conner.

"Ah!" she heard him yell.

"Superboy!" dashing over to him, she flung crates here and there clearing herself a path. Finally she found him hunched over, with his black back to her. "Superboy?"

He turned to show her the mouse that he had caught.

"EEP!" she squealed.

"No, no. It's okay." he soothed in a tone that was not like him. Gently putting the mouse down he stood and brushed his dusty knees off. "It was just a few mice." Conner informed her what the noise was.

M'Gann panted. _"Sorry guys. It was just some, ew, mice."_

Everyone sighed. Artemis and Kaldur out of relief that it was nothing, but Wally out of frustration that it was nothing.

_Nothing again! Oh Com'on! Why can't the stupid mobsters just come to us, tell us where Robin is, return the stolen weapon, and we can all just go home! Stupid mobsters, stupid weapon, stupid French._

* * *

**Oh, and one last thing. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWIRLHEARTY23! HAPPPPPPPPYYYYYYY BIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAAYYYYYY!**_  
_


	18. Elementary My Dear Greyson!

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 18.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Elementary My Dear Greyson!**

**? ? ?  
**

**August 15, 17:12 EDT**

They sat in silence, they swaying of the trailer and the dim light made them groggy. They had talked, well Grace and Jack had discussed stuff, and Caleb mainly listened.

He concluded that the entire government was dumb, and without the Justice League our country would be ruined. This, of course, wasn't really accurate only what an immature, and rather upset, 13 yr. old thought.

But that was two days ago. Now, no one talked, and no one cared to listen. Both Grace Emilia Ross and Caleb Lyman were far too miserable to do much of anything. Their was no food, no water, no sanitation, and very little sleep because there was also a staggering lack of comfortable furnishings. There was no concept of time, other than the tiny window that let in a few rays of sunlight. The blood, the constant head-aching noise, the stench, it was all too much for two kids. Even for The Boy Wonder.

"Are we there yet?" Grace mumbled as she slipped to one side.

Caleb slowly glanced over to her. She was fine, just asleep. Passed out again. He pressed his cold, dirty black hair against the rocking steel wall.

Three days. That's how long they had endured this torment. Three days with next to nothing to eat, little and, very uncomfortable, sleep, and no showers. That was the worst. (Other than the no-existence of bathrooms, naturally.)

It was the same routine every day. He would stay awake, watching over her twenty-four seven. Or twenty-four three, as the case may be.

Grace slept at random points throughout the "day", and for an undefined amount of time. Only to whine and complain when she did wake up. But shortly her head would keel, and she would slip back into unconsciousness.

It was a far different story for him. When she did keel over, that's when he would make his move. He always started with checking his phone. Still no messages or bars. _Dog_. After that inevitable disappointment, he would run in place, stretch, do some push-ups, or some crunches. Perform several rolls, after which he would practice his flips, twirls, jumps. And after all that he would execute sit-ups, kicks, blocks, more push-ups, and finally try his phone, again. And again be disappointed.

Of course doing all that, multiple times a day, every day, was quite tiring and without food, water, or sleep, it takes it's toll on one.

But he had to keep going, he had to stay awake, be fit. Prepared. For, anything. A call, a crash, arriving at Vegas, he was ready. He had to be, more than anything.

Gingerly tilting his head he looked up at the tiny little window. Fresh air. That's all he wanted, a simple gust of free wind would give him back everything that had been denied him. IT would literally be the child's second wind.

Dropping his head again Caleb examined his battered and bruised knuckles. He had already tried the window but it was made of some dense plastic stuff with steel bars as reinforcements. Not glass. If it was glass, he would have given it one solid punch. Well he did, but the hard plastic didn't react like glass would have.

Putting his hand on his knee he tried to stand. But his weak legs were no use against the violent jerking of the trailer and he was sent crashing back down.

_Yeah, let's trust the DHS officer, he's with the government, an undercover cop with a badge and everything, he's a good guy. He won't leave us back here to starve. _"Heuh, yeah right. Lot of good that did."

After trying to stand several other times, Caleb gave up. What was the point? He couldn't help against those guys, or those guns.

_ We learned that whoever is paying these idiots off has enough money for some extra artillery...They know how to use said artillery. _Caleb thought. That was his secret to staying awake all these hours, constantly thinking and going over all that you know about the situation. You never know when you might remember of something new, or find a new hint, a clue, a lead.

_How did you even find them if you don't know who the mole is?_ Grace had asked.

_ Well their was some tech stolen from some of the big-wig labs, and we confirmed that they weren't random robberies. _Jack had responded.

_ Tech stolen, from Big-wig labs? Wayne Labs too? Why didn't Bruce tell- wait. Wayne Labs was working on a new weapon operating system in partnership with Star Labs. That's it! The French stole that new system. But how did they know? The new intern!_

Robin pounded himself for not seeing it sooner._ She had a masked French accent! _He brought to mind a mental image of her access card. Sparkly eyes, dark blond hair that was pulled back. _She looked nothing like a scientist!_ _And Bruce even said that himself. She was the snitch! And with a perfect cover. Wayne Labs security would scan for Iranians to be terrorists, not the French. And it was the security that accepted her into the program, Bruce didn't know about the internship until she was there. Ah! What was her name._

But The Boy Detective's elementary lesson was interrupted by the trailer giving another yank to one side, which send him tumbling forward, slamming his sensitive head into the wall.

"UGH!" he groaned through clenched teeth. He was so sick of getting tossed around, slammed into stuff, he was sick of being sick.

_Three days non-stop to Vegas from Washington...how much longer...?_


	19. MGM, Oh I've Been There Too!

**So this is a fun chapter. Don't worry, drama coming up soon!**

**Btw, some of you asked me what TBW stands for? Well, guess. And if you get it, I'll write you a quick one-shot. Open for all who answer correctly, not one of those first come fist serve things. ;)**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 19.®.®.®.®.®.**

**MGM Ooh, I've Been There!**

**Vegas**

**August 15, 17:47 EDT**

"Oh man, I am beyond stuffed." Wally groaned. He leaned up against the giant doorway that lead out of the casino.

He stared into the huge parking deck, still unable to wrap his head around the lack of doors that weren't separating the concrete structure from the casino itself. Once you left your car the cool breeze of air-conditioned money and slots swept you inside through a enormous, and elaborate doorway that lacked both enormous and elaborate doors.

"No, I-I can't make it. You guys go on without me, just **SNIFF** leave me here to die, all alone. Just go, go ahead. If my mother calls, tell her that I'm here, dieing, all alone!" he dramatically played out as the rest of the team walked by.

"Okay." Artemis said without a second thought. "Have fun in h-"

"Now is not the time to play games. We should be getting back to the hotel, Diana is expecting us." Kaldur stopped and turned to look back at the group when no one responded.

Artemis was yelling at Wally who was lounging on the hood of a brand-new, shiny red Corvette. M'Gann was rubbing her stuffed belly while painfully giggling at Wally and Artemis. And Conner was, well, Conner.

Kaldur was softened by the sight. His teammates had been working hard for three straight days, with no breaks aside the evenings. But over all there was nothing to show for their efforts. Kaldur saw no need to continue to search for what wasn't there. "Perhaps, it would be of no harm to take the evening off our rounds."

Wally zipped beside him and wrapped a thin arm around the Altanean's shoulders. "Now **that **is what I wanna hear! Ooh!" he darted away from Kaldur over to M'Gann . "I call the Martian!"

"Oh, Wally- I'm..." M'Gann stammered.

"Of course you do. No, I call the Martia- M'Gann. We're going out for the night." Artemis growled as she pulled M'Gann away from Wally.

"Than I guess it's just us guys." Conner commented watching Wally stumble forward after the force of the yank.

"Just us guys, all alone, in Vegas, with no supervision? Well, if you really think that that's what you girls want to do. But you're gonna' be missing a Partehh!" Wally beamed as he shot onto his feet. Finally he would get to see the sights, hear the sounds.

For that, and the many other moments that followed, he forgot about Robin. Sure The Boy Wonder was missing and all, but Bats never gave them any updates. Wally was even beginning to doubt that his friend was MIA at all.

"Yeah! Let's do this!" ecstatic, KF ran after Conner and Kaldur who where leaving the parking deck.

M'Gann watched them, then turned to Artemis. "So what-?" she looked around, her travel buddy was gone.

After finding her, M'Gann flew over. "So what do you want to do?" she asked again.

"I'm going back to the hotel." Artemis matter-of-factually stated.

"But, I thought we were gonna' see the sights? Yah know, walk the walk...?" M'Gann pleaded.

"You can if you want, but I've seen enough of this place and am heading back to the hotel."

Poor naive M'Gann didn't know what to do. Artemis was assigned as her partner, so she couldn't leave her. It was like pairing for a battle, and they could never split up.

Slowly flying after Artemis, she stopped again. She didn't want to go to the hotel, she wanted to see the sights. And that's what the boys were doing.

_"Um, permission to leave my assigned partner and join you three?"_ she hesitantly asked. She didn't want to disobey orders, but she also didn't want to go back to the room to watch TV all night.

_"Permission? Babe, you are always free to sit at my side."_ Wally was the first to respond and that was all that M'Gann needed. She wanted him to respond because she new knew that he would say yes. That's probably why she only asked him...

After catching up with them, the four teammates made their way around the town. They walked through the casinos, admiring the architecture of Caesar's Palace. Wally asked a score of people take group pics of Kaldur, M'Gann, Conner, and himself. They laughed at the volcano and must have watched the fountains for an hour and a half.

Mostly though, they talked.

The heroes, and heroine, talked about everything from the food, to the miniature Eiffel tower, to their own lives, away from Mount Justice. Kaldur started debates and often finished them when Wally got a bit too emotional, Conner occasionally gave his two cents about various topics, and M'Gann was happy to listen to it all go down. Heck before they new it, the foursome was talking with, laughing at, and slapping each other more than they were enjoying seeing the sights or walking the walk.

Before they knew it, it was one o'clock in the morning. Quickly, they turned tail and headed back to the hotel.

You could hear their laughter a mile away, and could smell them (Wally) in twice that distance. (Hey!) Bursting through the narrow door, they were piled on each other, falling like dominoes.

"Get off, get off, get off!" Wally half yelled half laughed. He was on the bottom.

"Ow, hold on I have to-" M'Gann addressed Conner as she carefully tried to squeeze through. She was on Wally.

"No I should go-" Kaldur tried to give orders. He was the cherry on top.

"OW!" Conner yelled when M'Gann accidentally kneed him. Conner was sandwiched between M'Gann and Kaldur.

"Oh, sorry." the Martian bashfully replied, finally managing to slip between Conner and Wally and glide into the room.

"Well that's one- OW! Watch it!" Wally yelled to Conner as he leaped off the speedster's back, carrying Kaldur with him. "Oh yeah, just forget about me, that's fine! IT'S LIKE MGM ALL OVER AGAIN!" he boomed, still laying in the doorway.

"Get up silly!" M'Gann raised a hand, thus raising Wally into the air.

"...Silly?" Artemis asked herself.

"Oh, you can pick me up anytime Volcano goddess from Planet Hot Sauce!" Wally cheered.

"Volcano goddess from Planet... What the heck did you guys do?" the angry archer inquired.

"We just conquered the Deadly Volcano of Deadliness and saved the gods of the godliness. No big deal." Wally summed up as he floated down, one arm wrapped around M'Gann's shoulder.

"Oh my gosh I just saw my virginity flash before my eyes." Artemis dramatically stated.

"Yeah, me too- wait, you're a virgin?" Wally asked, coming back to his senses.

Rolling her bright green eyes, Artemis turned to walk to her room. "Night!"

"Night." Conner said, himself heading for the room the he shared with Wally. He stopped and blushed when he realized that his innocent statement had replied to hers.

"It's okay buddy, we all meant it." Wally said, slapping Supey on the back of his head.

"And with that, goodnight." Kaldur scolded M'Gann who was still floating there. Shyly she floated to her and Artemis' room and closed the door.


	20. I Hate Sleeping Past Noon Too

**So, here we go. And yes, we're still with Wally. Well, not much can happen in the back of a truck. :/**

**Thanks to all who have replied to the title guessing game. New submissions are still open and welcomed!**

**Also, if you love dogs, and boys with dogs, and girls with boys with dogs. And mischievous dogs with girls and boys, then check out my Young Justice one-shot(s) about the most lovable, mischievous dog ever to be wonder into Mount Justice!**

**Okay, back to the story at hand...**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 20.®.®.®.®.®.**

**I Hate Sleeping Past Noon Too...**

**Vegas**

**August 16, 14:55 EDT**

"Wally, Conner, get up!" M'Gann was yelling as she flew around the room opening the heavy drapes.

"Wha-? Mm, not now." Wally moaned as he rolled over. Peeking his emerald eyes open he looked at the clock. **Two fifty-five** No response from KF adored itself upon his sleepy face. Then his eyes saw the final two letters that follow at time. **PM **"WHAT!"

Running into the kitchen he glanced at the clock on the microwave.** Two fifty-six **"Ooh, that one's a minute ahead."

"What are you looking for?" M'Gann considerably asked.

"M'Gann! Oh tell me it isn't so! Tell me!" Wally pleaded, he absolutely hated sleeping in past noon.

"But I don't know- oh hello M'Gann! You've been looking at clocks," she ran her fingers through his messy red hair trying to comb it out. "Yes Wally, it really is three o'clock," she paused as she looked at him, who was looking at her hand. Her green fingers were still intertwined with his red hair. "Oh gosh! I am **so** sorry..," her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink as she tried to remove her hand, but was only yanking his head around.

"Ow ow ow! It's okay, it's okay!" he stammered trying to catch himself.

Eventually they did separate, and, while blushing severely, Wally zipped for the shower as M'Gann disappeared into her room. Literally, disappeared.

Soon afterward Wally walked out of his room, wearing his civ clothes and rubbing his hand around his hair, as was his custom to mess it up. "So you seemed rushed, where's the fire?" he addressed M'Gann who was sitting on a leather chair, her legs crossed in front of her. "You get it? Fire, Martian, seems rushed...?"

"Hilarious," Artemis grumbled.

"Well, wait- uh, Why is **she** up before **I** am?" Wally asked.

"And I was in such a good mood," standing, the archer left her chair, and walked into the kitchen.

"Geez, grumpy. Ooh ooh, I get dibs!" darting around the back of it, he plopped into Artemis' chair.

"Uh uh, we are not doing this. Move it," she ordered as she slapped his feet off the mini table that was between the furnishings and the TV.

"Nope, move your feet, you loose your seat."

"Oh you are so mature. Way to try and impress the big man."

"Wait, the who?" he watched after her.

"Oh, Artemis was probably referring to Batman. Wonder Woman said that he was going to meet us today," M'Gann said, uncomfortably stuck in the middle. Again, literally.

"What does he- **Oh**! So **that's** why you were rushed in getting Conner and me out of bed,"

"Yeah, pretty much. I was trying to get you up happily, so that you two would be happy when you woke up," she confirmed, still feeling awkward.

"Oh, well thanks for that. But sugar, I just need to see you're pretty face and nothing could make me, uh, not happy. Mmm, and speaking of sugar..."

"Well thanks for that. I think," she muttered as Wally raced into the kitchen. "You know it beautiful!" he yelled, "So, what does Bats want to talk to us about?" he asked while stuffing his mouth full of cereal.

"Well it certainly isn't to praise your good hygiene," Artemis shot at Wally.

"Dude!"

"You are both wrong and out of line. I believe that Batman desires to communicate to us about Robin. If he only wished to send more orders then he would not be coming here," Kaldur offered his opinion.

Wally choked violently on his mouth-full. Robin! He had forgotten about The Boy Wonder. KF had spent so much time having a good time that he had forgotten.

"Are you okay?" M'Gann asked.

After coughing and pounding himself on the chest, Wally managed to udder a "yeah."

Just then the automated teleportation computer announced **RECOGNIZED BATMAN- ZERO TWO**

The junior heroes walked over as Batman and Diana's figures appeared.

After an exchange of greetings, Bruce quickly got down to business. "What have you found concerning the French mob?"

There was a moment of awkward silence as the team looked at each other, prodding the other to answer. Kaldur, being leader, stepped forward.

"In three days of searching we have found no clues of any French mob."

"Nothing?" Batman half asked half scowled, "What else have you been doing?"

"We've been looking! For three days now. We have our own routes and everything!" Wally interjected.

"And you've been on your routes today?"

Again there was more silence. "Yes we have," Artemis stepped forward.

Batman narrowed his eyes at her lie. "All of you?"

"Yes. And like yesterday and the day before that we found nothing," she answered his question with a simple answer, then quickly changed the subject, but made it work. The girl was an expert at lying but the team was doubtful that she could convince The Great Detective.

"Very well," turning, he began to teleport away.

"Wait! What about Rob? Have you heard anything?" Wally shoved between Kaldur and Conner to step forward.

"Once you find something I will tell you," The Dark Knight said as he disappeared.

"Once you find something I'll tell you? What kind of answer was that? We're not gonna' find anything cuz there's nothing here to find!" Wally exploded.

"Strange that Batman is pressuring us as hard as he is. Perhaps the Justice League has not found anything either?" Kaldur was ignoring Wally, but he didn't mean anything by it.

"That doesn't make sense, they're the Justice League, they're supposed to be good at this kind of stuff," Conner commented.

"Ah hello! Wondering about Robin here! You know, little guy, can beat the snot out you without blinking!" Wally protested the change of subject. "Ah fine!" throwing his arms in the air, he stormed back to his room.

Sitting on the unmade bed, he pulled out his phone from the nightstand. Looking it over multiple times, he flipped it open and scrolled through the contacts.

**Rob** one name card said. Wally then clicked to **SEND**.


	21. With an Even Longer One Yet to Come

**So, for anyone's who's interested, the title guess game is still underway, and the answer WILL NOT be revealed until the story is over. (Ten chapters + an epilogue from now) **

**Again, the game includes a one-shot for anyone who guesses what TBW stands for.**

**I know this story is long, but thanks for stickin' with me!**

**Finally, and as requested, more Robin! (My fav character, of course!)**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 21.®.®.®.®.®.**

**With an Even Longer One Yet to Come**

**? ? ?  
**

**August 16, 15:35 EDT**

Four days. Four long, grueling days. That's how long Grace Emilia Ross and Caleb Lyman were stuck in the back of an eighteen wheeler, kidnapped by some French mobsters, and an undercover agent for the Department of Homeland Security, and they were all headed to Vegas with four straight days of driving under their belts.

Four days in a creaky, steel trailer. The air smelled of rust, and it was damp, and never freshened, which only made the captives sweat in their already filthy clothes. The banging and the crashing was constant, and only got louder once you thought that it was at full volume. The floor was cold, bloody, always shaking, and uncomfortable. It, and the walls, had miniature hills and creases, much like the outside of a tin storage unit. The walls themselves were loud and tall. The only light source was that tiny window.

Poor Grace's health was only getting worse in that torturous dump. Without food nor water for four days, she was to weak to cry herself to sleep. But the lack of tears didn't stop her efforts. She had to sleep, it was her only escape.

The surroundings even took it's toll on our child Caleb. His shoulder was never treated properly, and it hurt like crazy. His heavy, thick, and sweaty clothes were covered with a layer of his own blood. His red sweatshirt was now sleeveless after he ripped them off to use them as fresh bandages. He taught himself how to fold the hood just right that it would make a half-way decent pillow. He lost the bullet-proof jacket a ways back, and gave that to Grace to use for whatever she wanted. His thin, yet muscular, legs were wobbly and shaking.

But his shades never left his face. Despite the near nonexistence of light in that place, he just couldn't risk it. And the darkness helped him think anyway, it reminded him of The Cave and that place always brought about interesting stories.

Standing, slowly and hesitantly, he took a few steps to the back of the trailer. Walking was all he could do anymore, he was to weak to try anything else. His trips were short, awkward with the sway of the trailer, and were far between. It took skill, timing and strength to lift your weak body without getting tossed back down.

Walking around, he pounded himself inside. This was his fault. All of it. The trailer, the wound, Grace's decreasing health, it all resting on his shoulders. Batman counted on him to protect her, to keep her away from the American, the dumb jock, from her boyfriend even.

Her boyfriend. Grace said that Grégoire he given her his number a year and a half ago on some bus ride. They new each other for at least a year before the kidnapping. He was a hit man, a hired hand, there was no way that the two of them just happened to meet.

That could only mean that the mob had been planning the capture for a while, a year in the least.

But Jennifer Blye died only a few weeks ago, so that didn't make sense. If she was still around the French would have no reason to target a divorced doctor's daughter.

_Okay, think._ Robin started a mental time-line, sketching it with his finger as he walked.

_**-**__Three years ago(2007) Grace's mother disappears. _

_**-**__ A year and a half after that (which is a year and a half ago)(2008) Grace receives Grégoire's phone number._

_**-**__ About a month and a half ago that new intern appears at Wayne Enterprises. _

_**-**__ Three weeks ago Jennifer Blye allegedly commits suicide at the hands of Doctor Edmund Ross. She is discovered to be spying on the US government and giving the information to the French __mob. _

_**-**__ Five days ago I am assigned to protect Ross' daughter because Bruce suspects that the angry mob would target her to get him to talk about what he learned from the Joker._

_**-**__ Four days ago... we, well- got nabbed, and we're on our way to Vegas._

Having succeeded in placing the events in order, Robin then moved onto organizing everything that he had observed, and putting them with their appropriate events.

_**-**__ Grace's parents were considering a divorce, dad would get everything, but mom disappears before that happens._

_**-**__ Grace and __Grégoire start dating, I'm not sure when._

_**-**__ the intern__ was stealing information about the weapon operating system that Wayne Tech was working on with Star Labs._

_**-**__ Jennifer was known for her dramatic rolls in movies, which usually consisted of both family and spy plots._

_**-**__ Grace reacted to me like one would expect, but really changed once I told her the truth. _

_ **-** She's a pretty good little actor too. I'm almost impressed. It's probably cuz..._

_**-**__ she's French or something. Which she is, and I really don't think that it's a coincidence that we're kidnapped by some Frenchies. _

_**-**__ Her dad also forbade her from speaking French, or having an accent, after her mom disappeared. Maybe he didn't like it. No..._

_**-**__ he would known that her mom was French when they dated. Plus he wanted Grace to get rid of it once her mom was gone. But where did she go? And why?_

_**-**__ We also know that neither __Grégoire, nor Jack or Bruno, are in charge. They're boss is probably in Vegas, and that's why we're going there._

His thoughts were interrupted by the quiet sound of sobs. "Grace?" he asked slowly stumbling over to her.

"UGH!" she moaned as she rolled onto her back, one arm across her forehead. "I hate this, I hate this a lot."

He smiled and helped her sit up. "Me too... and I'm sorry."

"What'd you do this time?" she pulled her arm away from his grasp. She didn't want to sit up, so she continued laying there, her body almost invisible hidden under her dark clothes.

He shoved his eyes to the side. He couldn't apologize, not to her. But he had already started and his will was too weak to continue saying no. "For letting this happen, all of it. I should have done my duty to protect you. This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for me."

"I can't believe that you would break my mom's vase, then lie about it."

"WHAT?" he was taken back by what she mumbled. "Uh, Grace?" he quietly chuckled, waving his hand in front of her face.

Asleep. She was talking in her sleep. _Um, okay._

Richard sat there, holding Grace's head in his lap. He looked down at her. He **was** sorry, this wouldn't be happening if he had done his job. She would be sleeping in her own bed, and him in his.

Looking to the side, his blue eyes blinked away heavy tears.

Sighing deeply to regain himself, he scooted over so that he could lean against the wall, being careful not to move her head too much. Slipping down so that he was laying on his back, he set her head on his gut as he positioned his hood into a makeshift pillow. For the first time in five days his eyes closed in peace as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Little did he notice that his phone was vibrating, since it was on the other side of the trailer. It wasn't searching for a signal, nor was it reporting low battery. Actually it said that he had received a text from Wally.

_It was going to be a long night._


	22. Fire  Martian  Bad

**BRACE YOURSELVES! SERIOUS CLIFFHANGER WARNING! }:}**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 22.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Fire + Martian = BAD**

**Vegas**

**August 16, 19:23 EDT**

It was the evening, and the team was on their way to the hotel after attending yet another Vegas buffet. No one had spoken about, or to, Artemis after she lied to Batman. Neither Wally nor Conner went on patrol before Bats arrived, yet she flat out lied to him by saying that they **all** had.

While everyone was so occupied being awkward about the archer, they didn't notice Wally constantly checking his phone. He had text Rob about four hours ago, and The Boy Wonder hadn't replied. Wally was beginning to believe that his friend really was MIA, and where ever he was it wasn't good.

As Wally followed his team out of the parking garage he happened to glance at Conner who was stopped. Walking around him, Wally studied his face.

"Um, Superboy, are you okay?" M'Gann asked as she too noticed. With that question, the rest of the team turned to give their attention.

"Yeah he's fine, it's just gas," Wally shrugged. "Told you that you shouldn't have eaten those..."

"No. I hear something," the clone muttered.

"What is it?" Kaldur asked, stepping forward.

"...Sirens. They're sirens, police cars."

"Where?" Artemis inquired.

"They're coming this way," he said.

Wally leaned over the curb and looked either way down the street. "I don't see anything," his eyes watched a woman stand on the curb, waiting for the cross-walk to grant her the right of way.

"No, they're definitely coming!" Conner gruffly confirmed, he really didn't like people arguing, especially not at him.

"Yes, I hear them now," Kaldur said.

"Mm me too, and I sense many vehicles coming-" but M'Gann was interrupted when several police cars skidded around the corner and barreled toward the woman.

"HEY, LOOK OUT!" KF yelled as he ran over to her. He whisked her to the other side of the street, just as the police cars raced by.

The speedster stepped onto the sidewalk and caught the woman from falling. "You're okay, you're okay," he soothed, helping her stand. "Oh, uh.. sorry about the landing, I'm usually quicker. It's just all the food..,"

"That's quite alright, thank you young **man**," she said with a distinct French accent as she tried to tame the frizz of her long, dark-brown hair. She was wearing a black, leather trench-coat with dark jeans, and very expensive stilettos.

The rest of the team ran over once the police cars had passed.

"M'Gann fly after the police in camouflage mode and see if you can assist them," Kaldur ordered.

"... and tell us if you need help too! Like maybe CPR," Wally hopefully called after the Martian as she disappeared.

Artemis rolled her eyes as she shoved Wally back into the street.

"Ma'am, are you all right?" Kaldur asked, placing a webbed hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Very, thank you. And you," she nodded at Wally.

"Yeah well saving people, it's kind of a thing of mine," he rubbed the back of his head as he stumbled back onto the sidewalk. "I would say a hobby, but it's more like a way of life."

"Oh stop hogging all the glory," Artemis growled as she pushed him back off.

"Really? If you would be so kind, could I have your name?" she asked.

"His name is 'We've gotta' go now'," Artemis yanked Wally's arm, pulling him away from the woman.

"Ah? We do, why?" he asked. Artemis pointed to her head.

_"Hello team? I __**AH! **__I need help!"_ M'Gann was pleading in their heads.

"Oh, that answers that. Sorry lady, we really do have ta go do our saving people thing," Wally zipped after his team as they raced after the sirens.

The woman just stood there watching them with a devious glint in her eye. Flipping her phone open, she dialed, then put it up to her ear. "Grégoire? How long will it take you to arrive? ...Well hurry it up, Young Justice is here. Yes, here, in the city...

"No you- listen child, I am not paying you to take a pleasure cruise. She should have been her yesterday and... What do you mean you got an extra package?" after delicately placing two of her black fingertips on the bridge of her nose, she continued.

"Fine, fine, I'll deal with him when he gets here as long as you have her... fine," her phone was slapped closed. "**Fools**."

Wally was the first to arrive at the scene. He noticed that, aside from cops, there were also many firetrucks. Good thing since the emergency concerned the volcano that him and his friends had admired just a day before. Some unknown variables had made it's flames catch fire to the plants that surrounded a heavy-populated casino. With the shrubbery and trees on fire, several levels of the casino itself were engulfed in flames.

"Oh boy," he gasped to himself. Running over to the firemen, he asked if their was anyone still inside. Between chokes and coughs they explained that several of their own where stuck saving civilians. "Okay, uh.., just stay here, we'll handle this!" placing his goggles over his burning emerald eyes, he disappeared in the smoke.

"Who was that kid?" "Hey where do you think you're going!" "Is he insane?" and "Who's we?" were all thrown around by the firemen in their worried glances. They were so close too one another that verbal communication was optional.

Hot and burning smoke filled Kid's lungs between his desperate calls for... well, anyone.

Everything that was in the casino was on fire. Tables were knocked over, the slot machines were melting between electrical explosions, and the cards and chips were burning. He ran by a table and watched a red chip melt away. _"Aw, what a waste,"_ he sympathized. But, unfortunately, the fire was only getting worse.

Running to the staircase he mentally called for M'Gann.

_"Wally, I'm with civs, hurry... please!"_

"Hang in their beautiful!

"Okay, bottom is clear- OH BOY!" Kid Flash stumbled backward, narrowly dodging some flaming rubble as it crashed several flights of steps. He took a moment to watch it crash down to the below-ground parking levels.

"Okay ,okay. You're good, you got this. Just find a different route..," he tried to keep up with his over-anxious mind, letting the door to the stairs lock behind him.

"ELEVATOR! **DO NOT RIDE ELEVATOR IN FIRE. USE STAIRS**," the speedster read the elevator sign. "OH COM'ON!"

**BAM**

Instinctively dropping to the floor, Wally glanced over his shoulder to see Conner crash through the front doors.

"SUPEY! Oh, just who I needed!" Wally ran over to him, but suddenly Conner and him were trapped under a large chunk of a pillar that decorated the inside of the casino.

* * *

**So this chapter was a bit longer than usual, meaning one more line and it's three pages on OpenOffice. But whatev, y'know? Anyway, please review, but please keep it clean when you do!**


	23. As the Sun Sets

**I actually remembered. Yay! So I came down something last night, and it's been clawing at me all weekend! But forgetting to upload? Well, Iwas excited about submitting another one-shot titled "It Was a Snow Monday..." it's just a small fun one-shot about Dick and Wally chatting with each other and a few more people through a game. Like I said, fun little.**

**Anyway, the "Title Guessing Game" (maybe one day I'll settle on ONE name for it...) is still in full swing. Keep those guesses coming people! Trust me it's on of those that you go "DUH" when you find out. And if you guess, whether you get it or not, you get a one-shot done by yours truley!**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 23.®.®.®.®.®.**

**As the Sun Sets...**

**Vegas**

**August 16, 20:10 EDT**

_**-**_"ERRRA!" Conner yelled as he lifted the giant piece from on top of Kid Flash and himself.

"Oh right, Superboy," KF scrambled up as Conner threw the stone. "Dude, I got two words for you!" Jumping behind Supey, Wally pointed his head in the direction of their only option to get to the trapped people. "ELEVATOR - SHAFT!"

The two heroes raced toward it, reaching it at the same time.

"Ho'kay then," Kid said between coughs. The dense smoke was getting to him.

"You okay?" Conner asked him.

"Eh! Uh, yeah. Elevator shaft, jump you. Go now..."

Conner caught KF as he collapsed forward. But Kid waved his hand at the Superboy. "Dude, just go!"

Standing, Conner gave the doors a swift punch, crashing them through. Looking into the shaft to make sure that no elevator was going to crash on him, he grabbed a hacking Wally, then started jumping.

_**-**_Artemis and Kaldur were outside the casino. Kaldur was bending the water inside the building and around rubble, where the firemen hoses couldn't reach. Artemis was exploding the rubble with arrows fired from her crossbow, keeping the chunks from falling on the Atlantean.

They were making progress, but too little and too slowly. Wally, Conner, and M'Gann had all disappeared in the building, and no one had seen them. They couldn't connect with M'Gann and fire was a Martian's weakness, the situation wasn't good. But their worries were interrupted by an explosion above their heads.

"Are there any more civilians inside?" Kaldur asked the fire chief.

"We have two guys, and they were with three or four civs," the chief answered back.

The teammates glanced at each other.

"And what about the other levels?" Artemis yelled from her location, a ways away.

"As far as we know the top half or so was closed for renovations, and most everybody else was at dinner on the second floor."

"NUMBERS CHIEF!" she scolded him.

"About three hundred total checked in," a man in a suit yelled from the police tape.

"And who the heck are you?" the archer asked between arrows.

"I'm the clerk, I do the book-"

"I know what a clerk is!" Artemis wasn't purposefully mean, she just stressed easily. And being slightly aggressive was the result.

A quick glare from Kaldur helped to keep her in check though. "So there were three hundred checked in the hotel?"

"Three hundred and twelve!" the tiny man replied after scrolling through his Ipad.

"And how many did you get out?" she asked the fire chief.

"One hundred and forty-six!" another firemen yelled as he ran over after completing a head-count.

_**-**_"Whoa!" Kid panted as he dropped to a skidding halt, debris covering his path. Finding another, he scrambled towards Supey. "How many people do you have?" he asked as Conner grabbed the people.

"All of them!" Superboy replied.

"Okay- really? Uh, take them down, I'll look for M'Gann!" KF yelled over the crackling of the fire.

Nodding, Conner slung the people over his shoulders and held the others under his arms.

Kid watched him disappear through the elevator shaft. _"M'Gann? Can you hear me?" _

_ "Wally, over here..," _she weakly replied.

_ "Over where?" _he desperately asked. Reaching up, his switched his goggles to infra-red so he could detect her body heat. But the fact that he was in a room filled with fire, the goggles were pretty useless. "Oh Com'on!" he yelled angrily, throwing the goggles to the side.

_**-**_"The bottom four levels are toast!" a third fireman yelled as another explosion ripped through the building.

"It's gonna' collapse!" the chief confirmed.

Kaldur and Artemis glanced at each other worriedly.

_**-**__"Here," _M'Gann said_. _

Kid glanced to the side to see a piece of debris float up for a second, then drop back down. _"Okay, I see ya'!"_ running over, he leaped over a flaming slot-machine that exploded while he was over it. Rolling on the ground, he desperately tried to regain his breath.

_**-**_"It's not gonna' make it!" the chief yelled to his men, prompting them to move. "GET CLEAR!"

_**-**_Dropping by M'Gann, Wally wrapped his arms around her body. "I got chya, I got chya!" he comforted her as more and more debris crashed around them. The flares got steadily closer, licking at their feet. His worried eyes glanced around as the building gave a violent jerk.

_**-**_"EVERYBODY MOVE!" the fire chief and the Police sergeant yelled, waving their arms in the air. Kaldur and Artemis stepped back and ran away together.

_**-**_With wet eyes, Wally leaned over and covered M'Gann's body in a tight bear-hug.

**-**Artemis, Kaldur, and the rest of the firemen and police officers ran for their lives as the bottom five floors of the building finally gave way, collapsing the entire thing in on itself.

Several firemen would have been trapped under the rubble, except for the quick actions and abilities of a tall teen in a black Superman shirt, who dove on them, carrying the party to safety.

Kaldur leaped on Artemis, the both of them getting buried in smoke, soot, and building chunks.


	24. 24

**Hey guys, yes I am still alive! **

**So sorry that I haven't uploaded in forever, but my story was deleted, all of it, so I've been working on that, by hand. Typing time is limited, so I'm forced to resort to pen and paper, which, though I like the outcome, takes FOREVER!**

**So yes, I am still alive, the story is still in full swing, and you can still guess at the title. **

**This chaps kinda long, but I figured you guys deserve that! So here you go, pls enjoy and tell me if you do!**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 24.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Vegas**

**August 17, 12:34 EDT**

the police had the scene guarded with yellow tape, and were keeping the crowds at a minimum, especially the press. No one in the entire emergency forces or in the law enforcement departments wanted news about two, potentially dead, young heroes to leak into the media. That spelled even more disaster for the situation that was being handled by arson case with multiple confirmed deaths.

The firemen were spraying a fine mist over the scene, keeping as much dust out of the air as possible while the remaining members of the team and the fire-squad dug with their powers and large machines. They worked in a joint effort, looking fir any survivors.

Artemis' head and arms ached, and her lungs stung with dust and fumes as she dug furiously. Coughing, she stretched her back as she rested for a moment, watching giant chunks of concrete and debris seem to float away.

Of course it wasn't the hot sun playing tricks on her, it was, in fact, Conner who was lifting the

impossibly large and tangled pieces. Infuriated at what happened, he was driven by the fact that he, alone, was the last person to have contact with either Wally or M'Gann, but mostly M'Gann. He was the last person to see the speedster alive, but Conner was determined to prove that statement wrong by finding them.

As Conner lifted up one edge of another chunk of building, it's weight was too much, even for Superboy. He was forced to lock his knees in order to stay erect with the rock looming above his head.

"Hold it Superboy," Kaldur spoke to the clone, as the Atlantean released his watery grip on another chunk, dropping it into the open mouth of some machine.

His limits had run out hours back, sometime around eleven in the morning, after he had spent the night, the morning, and now into the afternoon digging.

Using his water to slice the Conner's piece in two, the clone threw it away angrily. Kaldur sighed watching the evident turmoil inside his comrade.

No one had connected with M'Gann, and not a soul had seen either her or Wally exit the casino prior to it's collapse. Things looked bleak, horribly bleak. And not just for the supposed future of Wally and M'Gann, but for all of Young Justice, with Robin still missing.

**? ? ?  
**

**August 17, 12:56 EDT**

The sewage splashed around as Wally and M'Gann stepped through it. Well Wally walked, she clung onto him since the Martian was far too weak to take a step by herself. She used all her energy for that, even what she usually reserved for hiding her true appearance. Meaning that a true Martian wrapped it's arm around Wally's shoulder, but little did he care.

The speedster didn't have time to worry about being judgmental now. Instead, he devoted himself to getting M'Gann out of the underbelly of Vegas after narrowly escaping the fall of the casino by ducking into an elevator shaft, and crawling into the sewer system.

"Wally, what time-" M'Gann began, her voice like that of a drowning whisper.

"-is it? You know you shouldn't talk beautiful," Wally both saved her the valued breath, but he also gave her the best, and most sincere, compliment. One that not every human being could truthfully give a Martian. "I'm not sure, but I do know that I'm hungry," he chuckled, trying to raise the dry, and very low, moral of their situation.

Suddenly M'Gann's trembling legs gave way, and she collapsed down into the sewage, dragging Wally down with her. But the speedster quickly regained his footing, rebalanced their weight, and was standing in no time, not allowing their heads to submerge.

Wally smacked his jaws disgustedly. "Ew, I think some got in my mouth," he wined.

_"I'm sorry,"_ M'Gann's thought, they were much clearer than her throat allowed her audible words to be.

"No, no, it's fine, I mean I guess that I deserved that after getting us trapped down here."

_"Wally."_

"M'Gann I did. I'm the one who didn't save us, I'm the one who hid like a coward in the elevator shaft, and I'm the one who drug you into the sewers," he sighed as he carefully chose their way over to some sort of sidewalk that hugged the circular wall of the sewer system. After sitting her down on it, he leaned his elbows against the ledge. "I'm the one that should be apologizing to you beautiful." He halfheartedly sighed at his own failure. "Leaving it to mister 'Saving people is what I do' to totally ruin everything." he sarcastically commented.

"Wally enough, please. You save people all the time. All those civilians in the building, what about them? You saved them," M'Gann quietly, yet firmly, protested.

"M'Gann, I..," Wally struggled to piece together his confession. He looked to the side as he felt M'Gann's alien hand rest on his shoulder.

"Wally, you're a great hero and friend. You're not a fail-" she began.

"M'Gann stop! Okay, just stop! I am a failure, Conner was the one that saved all the people, okay? Conner did it while I... while I hid in an elevator shaft!" he emotionally stammered, allowing the weak Martian to read his mind and watch what happened in the hotel.

"You found me," she tried to comfort him after watching his memories.

Grunting angrily, he pulled his shoulder from her hand and began pacing away from her. "Conner would have found you sooner. He has super hearing remember? He's the real hero with his super-strength, and super-sight, and super one track mindedness."

"Wally," she sympathetically said, her soft tone clashing with ever growing angrier one.

"He's the one that did the saving. He would've gotten you out before the building came down. He can save fifteen at once, and I can't even save one." Hoping up, he pressed one long, muscular leg against his chest as he sat on the concrete trail.

They sat in silence, M'Gann wondering what to say, as Wally only hoped that she didn't say anything. She was right, like always, and he knew it, but he refused to accept it at face value. Being hard on himself, way too hard if you asked Robin. Of course Wally knew the good things that he had done, but all he could focus on was what he had done bad, especially in the last few days.

He let Rob go on that mission. Wally felt that, somehow, it was his fault that his friend was missing. The pains of regret and guilt flowed all over Wally, drowning his soul in self-pity, and he felt that emotional explosion was imminent. But not in front of M'Gann, she was to emotionally sensitive and mentally frail to have the ability to withstand an irruption.

"I'm gonna' go see if I can find some way out," he stammered, knowing a change of scenery would be best, "You, stay. And rest, meaning no running around, no flying, no singing, hopping, skipping, standing, jogging, or hopscotching. Stay and sit," he sternly ordered her before running off into the darkness.

It felt so good to move again. Running to Wally was like Spring Break, like emerging from the cave after a long hibernation, like taking your first steps out of bed after the flu for a week. The air, however rotted and gross it may be, brought a second breath to the speedster as he ran. He ran and ran.

**? ? ?  
**

**August 17, 1:28 EDT**

Caleb's quiet blue eyes peeked open as he felt the trailer give a violent stop. He heard the engine squeak and breathed a deep sigh that matched in it's length. Looking down, he studied Grace, who still lay on his chest, and she stirred.

"Good morning," he said, the rest obviously putting him in a chipper mood, despite their equally obvious bad circumstances.

"Good afternoon," Grace corrected him before realizing that she was beginning to love those dark shades that she stared into.

Afternoon, Caleb thought, remarking the truth in her infallible sense of time, which took only moments to reset itself.

They both looked as the trailer door opened, drowning them in horribly bright light, and stinging their tired, weak eyes.

"Well good morning," Jack mocked them.

"Good afternoon," they both replied, in unison, as Grace sat up off Caleb who also straightened.

"Shades, seriously?" the American quipped as Bruno and himself climbed inside the trailer, the jock ready to snatch Grace. But Robin wasn't having it.

Grabbing Bruno's giant hand, Robin yanked himself into the man's large body. Which sent the jock stumbling backwards only to fall out of the trailer.

After blocking several of Jack's attacks, Robin thought up another way of beating the American. Surprised by Jack hitting his hurt shoulder, The Boy Wonder dramatically moaned in pain, allowing himself to be pulled into Jack by the man's hands. Holding the child like a father holds a son, he lead Robin toward the door of the trailer, Grace studying him, wondering if he was really going to allow himself to be caught so easily. He wasn't.

As soon as Robin's black and white sneaker touched the edge of the trailer, he dropped down to the ground, pulling the American after him. Falling, quite unexpectedly, Jack's gut met the child's knee, just as Robin's fist hit the man's back. Groaning, the man fell to the side, which allowed Robin to be shoved in the ledge of the trailer when Bruno pushed him.

"That's gonna' bruise," The Boy Wonder quipped before, again, entering battle.

Bruno's body fell as Robin dealt the final blow. Glancing over his shoulder, his blue eyes were just in time to see Jack's figure keel to the side as Grace kicked him in the face. Taking a moment to stare at the other, the two of them exchanged playful glances.

"Déplacer n'avez," Grégoire ordered, and Robin felt the cold, steel sensation of a handgun pointed to his head. Jerking the boy's hurt arm behind him, Grégoire proceeded to yell at the other two men, scolding them for their incompetence as they painfully stood.

Holding Caleb so that his lower arm was pressed against his back in the most uncomfortable way, Grégoire shoved him through a cold, steel door, as Jack escorted a mumbling Grace.

They had arrived in Vegas.


	25. 25

**Not much to say other than thanks for reading! Sorry it's up so late, and I will NOT be updating over the weekend, sad but true...**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 25.®.®.®.®.®.**

**? ? ?  
**

**August 17, 13:44 EDT**

_One would be surprised at what one realizes while one is aimlessly walking through the sewers of Las Vegas_. Wally thought as he sniffed the air. _Oh yes, and the musty, rotted smell of everything crappy can do wonders to the sinuses, _his mental conversation continued. He was imagining, hallucinating rather, himself with the rest of the team sitting around a Vegas buffet as he told them about his epic journey to save the dear life of M'Gann M'orzz. They were all intrigued with his tale of heroic deeds, so astounded in epicness that they all wore shades so not to be blinded by his sheer awesomeness. Or what it cuz they didn't want to look at him since he was so filthy...?

On the outside, his laughter rang through the hallways as he continued walking forward. Raising his hands and pinky and if he was holding the most delicate of fine dining in the mortal form of a tea cup, he slammed face first into a cold, steel door, which sent him stumbling backwards.

Snapping most violently out of his trance, he rubbed his head as he gazed up at the door. Looking over his shoulder, his bewildered eyes examined the short hallway that ones walks through in order to get to said entryway.

Glancing down, he saw that he sat waist high in sewage. "Ew ew ew!" he yelled as he stood. Concluding that the wetness didn't cover a large scale of his body, and he wasn't going to dirty his hands with it, he tried the door. _Locked, no duh._

Glancing this way and that, he didn't see any other doors, and this was the first one that he had found. He was determined to get in.

**? ? ?**

**August 17, 14:02 EDT**

"So let me get this straight, we're finally in Vegas? Geesh, took you guys long enough," Caleb paused as he shifted his head to one side, always keeping eye contact with Bruno, the man that was stuck watching this child in the tiny hotel room. "Does your boss live in Vegas too? He's here right now-"

"He?" Bruno laughed.

"She?" Caleb was taken back, but accepted it as truth. He was ready with a slew more questions, but was interrupted by the door opening.

"Time's up," Jack mocked a jail warden, though nothing in the room reminded anyone of a prison cell. It, the hotel room, was both small and simple, with a desk and a computer against the wall adjacent the bed. The TV was small-er than any at the Wayne Manor- and the bathroom was locked.

Caleb slumped back in his chair, the swivel chair that belonged to the desk, disappointed that his interrogation was ended so abruptly.

"We're switching kids," Jack explained as he met Bruno in the narrow hallway that lead to the door. But his informing was discontinued by a child's mocking laughter.

"What?" Bruno asked, amused. After glancing at Jack, who gave no intelligent reply, he glanced at Caleb.

"Nothing," the child insisted through his chuckles.

"What?" Bruno asked again, this time with severe annoyance etched in his tone.

"It's just, you thought I was annoying?" Sitting forward, Caleb added to the dramatic effect of his words, like he had seen done in all the movies. "You get Grace," he chuckled more as Jack, who apparently had seen the same movies, shoved the terrified Bruno out of the room and slammed the door.

_ That should keep that moron from Grace..._ Caleb assured himself.

The second that the door was closed, the laughter stopped and the child summoned an epic seriousness to the room that only Batman could. "Where is she? I want to see her," he demanded of the American.

"I don't," Jack shrugged it off as he shook Caleb's chair side to side, prompting the child to leave it. When that didn't work, Jack rested a hand on Caleb's dirty hair. "So now that it's just the two of us, let's you and me get personal."

Caleb's Bruce Wayne trained modesty shivered at the man's eery words. But he had to say something... "I'm not in the mood," '_IN THE MOOD' REALLY?_ "I want to see Grace!" _Nice comeback._

"Listen Caleb, if that's even your name-"

"Why wouldn't it be?" the child shot back.

Jack chuckled to himself. "Cuz I don't think that's what it really is."

"Well Officer, if that's even your real title, I would think that, especially after going through boot camp that I'm sure you went through in order to get that shiny badge, you should know by now that the entire world doesn't revolve around you," the child sneered. The man had dared to challenge The Boy Wonder in his games, and now he was going to see what a little child imagination can do to a cover story and a game of question. Robin, undoubtedly, could handle whatever scare or interrogation tactics that the supposed agent could throw at him. Plus he could also shift and mold those accusations into **his** weapons with ease.

Jack only chuckled to shake off his anger, which aggravated Robin more. He had to get to the computer, and he couldn't do that till the misplaced Americano was gone. And a little inside as to whether or not the man really was a cop wouldn't hurt either.

"What?" Robin snapped and the man's continuous chuckles.

"You really think that wearing shades indoors makes you what, hip and funky fresh?" he mocked, "If I didn't know better, I would say that you were trying to keep you're real ID a secret."

Robin officially did not like where this was going. "What, and your amazing detective, cop, special agent skills haven't given you any reason to believe other wise?" _Yeah, you got me, I'm a hero. Hah, yeah right. _"Where in Vegas are we?"

"Somewhere," Jack quickly replied.

"No duh. What haven't come up with an alibi, police boy? Not even some super story? Or did your super Po-po skills tell you that I was going to ask that?"

"Who are you!" Jack growled, almost loosing it.

"You tell me, your the cop here last time I checked," silence, "That's what I thought, it was all one big, fat lie-"

"Listen kid, I am your superior and you will not talk to me in that tone!" Jack yelled at the boy, who instinctively shot back.

"You're my superior?" he openly laughed, "Yeah, and I'm Doctor Fate!"

Jerking from the bed side, Jack grabbed Caleb by his collar, and slammed the child's back onto the bed spread. The American then used his body to weigh Caleb down as he started yelling into the child's face. "Listen kid, I have had it up to here-" pressing his forearm against Caleb's neck painfully, he continued, "with your smart-alackness!"

"Pretty sure that that's not a word," Robin sneered the best he could. The movement knocked the wind out of him, and Jack's arm made it difficult to regain it. That, and his shoulder was in excruciating pain while the American pressed down on it.

Raising a hand, Jack prepared to slap the grin of Caleb's face, but paused when he stared into the child's eyes. "Yeah kid you're Doctor Fate, and I'm the Easter Bunny," he said mildly, almost sadly as he stood and walked out.

"I pictured you furrier," Caleb mouthed as he rubbed his sore neck. Dick Grayson's nasty habit of having to have the last word in a situation that he wasn't in control of showed itself, but little did he care.*

"Yeah, and I pictured you taller," Jack mouthed as he slammed the door closed behind him.

**? ? ?  
**

**August 17, 14:35 EDT**

After about thirty minutes of messing with the lock on the door, it flew open, Wally falling through the entryway. "Yoink!" he breathed as he fell through the doorway and into a white room with a staircase reaching to its ceiling.

Somewhere else in the sewers, a resting Martian was jerked wide awake with the door wide open, her mind connecting to someone's inside. Hello? Who-who's there? Reaching a hand forward as to touch the celestial being, M'Gann felt fear and rage pump through the person, no it was a man, but greater still, it was a boy. A small, weak and hungry boy was confused, mad, and hurt. Yes there was psychical pain, but his mind itself was bogged down with thoughts, questions, and accusations. He felt helpless, weak, but determined to do the right thing, to do what needed to be done. Such determination reminded her of someone, but with her mind dizzy with his, she couldn't remember.

Examining the area inside the door, Wally slipped across the tile as he made his way to another steel entryway that he bet lead to the first floor of the building. But it only lead to a small room. Stepping onto the cheap carpet, he examined it.

"Geesh, it's like the Wardrobe all over again..," he said as he quickly moved across the room and peeked out the door. It was a long, narrow hallway that resembled one you would find in a hotel. "Hello?" he asked, his voice barely louder than normal.

Wally's emerald eyes shot to a door as it opened and a man stepped out. The speedster could hear the tall, black haired man grumbling something about not be respected, and yes, he was a cop. _Oh good a cop, he'll help!_ Stepping forward to call to the man, Wally's wet shoe squished on the carpet. Twirling around, the man drew a gun and pointed it at Wally. _Or not!_ he thought as he instinctively ran back inside the room and disappeared back into the sewers.

Running and running from the deranged man that chased him, Wally's lungs panted the moist air as his head spun from the lack of sustenance.

After finally reaching M'Gann, he slowed considerably, his lungs desperate for air. But when the breathed, they rejected what was given them and coughed it back up.

"Are you okay?" M'Gann asked, rising to assist the wheezing Wally.

"I'm better now that I get to see you," he panted.

"Why were you running?"

"Oh that, um..," he hesitated, "no reason. Uh, do you hear that?"

"Hello? M'Gann, is that you? Oh my- uh, stay there, we're on our way!" the excites voice stammered.

Wally and M'Gann exchanged confused glances.

"Uh, was that-" he began.

"Oh hello M'Gann! IT was Artemis! My connection finally went though! She's on her way here!"

"I love it when you do that... I mean, great, we're getting rescued..," he cheered sarcastically, "but, don't you think that this needs to change?" he asked, waving a hand around her alien face. "N-not that it's bad-" he tried as she turned away.

"I probably should shouldn't I... but I'm not sure if I can-" she hesitantly said, but paused when Wally's hand grasped hers.

"If you can't then that's okay. Who you really are M'Gann is all that matters, and they would have found out soon enough anyway." he said, turning her shoulders toward him with his soothing words.

"Wally, I appreciate that, really, but I don't think that it's time... for them, to see me."

"Oh, okay. Do you think you can?"

M'Gann rubbed her arm with her hand. "I can try," she said, then stepped back from Wally.

Holding her arms out from her sides slightly, her eyes glowed a soft pink. Her red hair flew about gently as her body changed. Once she was Miss Martian, in her civvies, again, she collapsed, only to be caught in Wally's quick arms.

"I got chya! I got chya," he told as distant voices echoed throughout the hallways of the sewers. Repositioning her body, he held her in his arms as he began to walk toward the voices.

_"Wally,"_ he heard in his head, and glanced down at the Martian.

_ Yeah beautiful?_

_ "I heard a voice, my mind connected-"_

_ -with Artemis', that's how she found us._

_ "No, someone else's in the sewers. Wally, I think it was Robin's."_


	26. Shouldn't Someone Tell Bats?

**SORRY ITS TAKEN SO LONG! Sorry guys, but this week was CrAzY with tornado clean up and church drama and work and stuff. So here, FINALLY, is another chapter.**

**Oh, and be forewarned *COUGHS* shesXsuperXfreaky *COUGHS* of another cliffie! But it's getting towards the end, really, and these next few chapters are the best!**

**So, thanks for reading and reviewing, and onto the story! ^.^**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 26.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Vegas**

**August 17, 14:56 EDT**

Caleb lay on the bed, but didn't remain docile for long. Standing, he walked over and and sat down at the computer desk, turning the CPU on. A tiny cord slipped out of his nearly dead phone, as he plugged it into the CPU's USB input. "Okay, Grégoire, let's see who you really work for..."

**Vegas**

**August 17, 15:06 EDT**

"Once M'Gann awakes, contact me," Batman ordered before teleporting away, thus concluding the League's interrogation of the team over the incidents that occurred concerning the Casino fire. They purposefully failed in saying anything about the hotel or Robin.

"Well," Wally sighed, "That was a complete waste of time."

"And you were not even present for the beginning," Kaldur moaned.

"Mister Clean was busy showering the ENTIRE time," Artemis grumbled, "Convenient."

"Okay M'Gann, you can come out now," Wally said while knocking on the door of the Martian's room.

"Um, Wally. M'Gann passed out," Conner said, curiously watching the red-head who only continued to speak to the door.

"M'Gann, Bats and them are gone, you can come out," he continued.

After a few moments, the door creaked open, and Wally could see the Martian's paranoid red-orange eye staring at him.

He smiled his signature smirk, comforting the girl while he pushed the door open as she walked out.

Standing from the chair that he was leaning on, Conner's movements matched those of his team as he walked over to M'Gann. "M'Gann."

"M'Gann, we believed that you were still asleep," Kaldur explained, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thanks to Wally," she said, combing her red hair behind her ear.

"Oh, is that how it is?" Artemis asked, crossing her arms above her swung hips, studying Wally's reaction carefully.

"Yes, yes it is," Wally mocked her back.

"M'Gann, we are most relieved that you-" Kaldur started.

"Oh hello M'Gann! I should probably tell you about Robin," M'Gann interrupted the Atlantean's comforting words.

"Rob! I forgot!" Wally said, but his expression was drowned out by the team's astounded, "ROBIN?"

"Yes, while Wally was in the sewers, after we crawled through the..," her rapid voice trailed off as she took in the confused looks of her team. Sighing, she giggled nervously, "Perhaps it would be better to show you," she said. Raising her hands, she connected their minds.

**Vegas**

**August 17, 15:25 EDT**

Rapid pounding on the keyboard was followed by Caleb's muttering. "Ross was one of the few doctors that was unfortunate enough to work with Joker," he was saying, "His short-lived crime spree started shortly afterward. He was accused of multiple assaults against his coworkers, patients, and his wife Cerena."

She was born in France, and lived there most of her life. She majored in psychology and social studies. And apparently, she was very manipulative though very caring. Ross cleaned up once he met her on a business trip in France. They married, but a year and a half ago she disappeared."

After a few more moments of searching, he found the police reports that covered her disappearance. "According to these, Ross beat her one evening, and she was planning on pressing charges, but decided against it once the media got Grace involved," he read, clicking between tabs and different links, "Wait a second, Cerena didn't just disappear after that night, she ran to Vegas."

Switching to Google maps, he conjured up the best possible routes that a fleeing wife might take from DC to Sin City. His blue eyes widened when he saw one path. It was mainly on highways, with one exception. It stopped at a gas station, just one, and that one happened to be THE one where Grace and him tried to escape. "That doesn't make sense," he breathed as he stared at the red line.

"Okay, so Cerena ran to Vegas, without Grace, and took the same route that we did. No way she would leave Grace with Ross, not for long anyway. Wait, she ran a yr and a half ago, and Grace met Grégoire a yr ago. And Jack did mention that they he was a 'hired hand'. Does that include Grégoire too..?"

Pressing his fingertips together, he rested his pointed chin on them in deep concentration, taking a few moments to piece everything together.

Raising a thin, black eyebrow, he looked at the door before Bruno slammed through it. "What the-" the man stammered as he tossed Caleb onto the bed. The child's small body bounced on the bedspread as Bruno started blankly at the computer.

"Tabs are closed, internet is off, and history is wiped," Caleb smirked at the buffoon.

"Smarty," Bruno mocked as he kicked the CPU.

Caleb hoped that he didn't see the phone, but he did. Holding the device, after ripping it from the CPU, he read the onscreen message, "DOWNLOAD INCOMPLETE, what download?"

"Music," Caleb lied, swiping his cell back. _There goes sending the downloaded coordinates to the Cave, or the Mountain._ "Hey!" he growled as Bruno grabbed his arm that was attached to his hurt shoulder.

"You're coming with me. You and Grace is gonna' meet the boss, and I can't watch you two in different rooms," the Jock said as he drug Caleb across the hallway and into another room. Grace.

"Hey now, WATCH IT!" Dick called as Bruno dug his big hands into the child's back pocket, taking the phone.

"And you'll be doing it without this," he mocked, waving it in Caleb's face, before shoving the child into the room.

**Vegas**

**August 17, 15:25 EDT**

After the mental movie, M'Gann was explaining about Robin, or his mind rather.

"He was... angry. Well frustrated, I'm not sure who at though," she was saying.

"Prob us," Wally mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Artemis growled, for some reason expecting Wally to blame her.

"Well I mean, he's been captured for what, five days now. And for all he knows, we don't even know that he's gone, cuz we're certainly not doing much to find him!" he muttered angrily, but became more and more passionate with his words.

"I don't think he was mad at us. I sensed that he was angry at himself, for some reason," M'Gann broke in, dodging the inevitable verbal battle.

"With himself?" Conner asked simply.

The martian nodded. "He was also in pain, a lot of pain," she continued.

"Perhaps it was some fault of his own that hurt him, or perhaps he blames himself for what has happened," Kaldur tried to understand the little boy.

"That doesn't sound like Rob," Wally slowly shot down the Atlantean. "What else can you tell us?"

"Unfortunately, he was not aware of his location, so I could not tell you where he is," the Martian girl blushed.

"It's okay, we know he's in Vegas, and that's all that matters," Wally said, a little more cheerful than he had been. "Righteyo, let's get crackin!" he said, rubbing his hands together.

"And do what?" the archer asked.

"Find him."

"And how do we do that?"

"When M'Gann sensed him, he had to be in that hotel, place. So we just need to find it,"

"And we can do that by using the computer systems downstairs," Kaldur said, standing excitedly.

"Computers downstairs?" Conner quietly asked, astounded that civilians knew how to work suck things as computers.

"Yes, let's do it!" M'Gann squealed cheerfully as her, Kaldur, Conner, and Artemis ran out, leaving Wally to jog after them.

"Wait, uh guys! Shouldn't someone tell Bats?" he called.

But his teammates didn't hear them, and he wasn't that serious about it anyway. He had to get Rob back, and Bats would take them off it.

Reaching the spacious computer room downstairs, Wally and Artemis assigned themselves to monitors and began digging for maps of the city.

"Okay, Rob taught me how to find the sewer system blueprints for any city," Wally muttered as his emerald eyes danced about the screen.

"Why would you need to know-" Conner began.

"It was a while ago, and... it's complicated," Wally brushed off as he pulled the blueprints up. "Okay, so we were... here once we broke the surface. And the casino is, well was, here... so we were about here," he said pointed to the screen with his half eaten candy bar.

"Wait, when did you," Conner quietly asked, surprised at seeing the food that he swore Wally didn't just have.

"So the door must have been... uh, it's not there," Wally sat u in his chair, puzzled.

"Check again," Kaldur demanded, leaning over the back of the redhead's seat.

"Yeah, I walked here, into there, through there, into there, and around there. It has to be there!" he exclaimed, shoving his palms toward the monitor.

"You mean that it was attached to the 'France in Vegas Luxury Hotel'?" Artemis spoke for the first time.

Sliding his chair over, Wally studied her screen.

"See, it's smack dab over where you said the door was, assuming that it was even there," she shoved the candy bar out of her face.

"Oh it was," Wally mumbled, escaping deep into concentration. "So that's it. Let's go!" he called as he ran out, his team at his heels.


	27. 27

**YAY! Another quick update! But the next one won't be quite as speedy, I don't think. Who knows, I might surprise you!**

**This is one of my favorite chapters, and once you read the final sentence, you'll know why! **

**Lastly, PLS PLS PLS review! Tell me that y'all are still reading!**

**Okay, that's all. Enjoy!**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 26.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Vegas**

**August 17, 15:47 EDT**

"Grace jeez, enough already. I'm here, you're okay," Caleb quipped at the girl who was crying in his arms. Backing away slightly, she looked into his black shades. Oh, how she wanted to see his eyes. She didn't care about his ID or anything. She just wanted to see his eyes.

Walking away from her, he occupied himself by examining the room for a few silent moments. Grace wiped her eyes and sniffed while she watched him. He was so cool. He oozed with mystery, was fiercely protective, and super caring. She couldn't remember the last time that she spilled into her father's arms.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that you're mother is in Vegas too?" he asked, breaking the awkward stillness.

"Who, my mom? Here? A-are you sure?" she asked.

"Very, and I think that... well it doesn't matter. I mean, you'll find out soon enough. But I do believe that your dad killed Jennifer," he stammered, attempting to keep all his anxiousness under control. He figured it out. Well, he had a while ago, but his theory was confirmed. He was right! Everything made sense, perfect sense. It fit like the final piece of a jigsaw, it worked.

"My dad did what?"

"Ross killed Jennifer Blye. And he was cheating with her," he said, his mind so flooded with the new information that it was still processing to get every last detail, that he could barely talk straight. But he was The Boy Wonder, so cloaking it was no problem.

"He was cheating! And a murderer?" she plopped down on the bed, trying to process it for herself. She wouldn't cry, not over that. Her and her father had been getting so distant, it didn't surprise her that he was both unfaithful, but also a killer. "Did he kill- no he couldn't have, not if she was here," the clever girl corrected herself.

"Your mom? No, he didn't kill her, but he did beat her. That made her run, and for one reason or another she ran-" he stopped.

"What?"

He glanced at her. Did he really want to reveal it. Did he really want Grace to find out like this, from him in his crazy, insensitive state. No, she would find out soon enough, he wouldn't risk hurting her. After all he had been through trying to keep her from harm, he would do what ho could to prevent any and all pain. And he didn't even know why.

She was just another girl, and he was just thirteen. She just happened to get kidnapped by- that didn't matter. He could have stopped it.

Pausing in his rapid pacing of the room, he thought. He could have prevented it, the kidnapping, but he didn't. He got them in this mess, and there was nothing that he could do to get them out of it. Everything had failed, and he had payed every time. But this wasn't the end. He figured it out, it fit. He had to do, something. It couldn't end like this, he wouldn't let the police take...

"Grace, I have to tell you something," he shot out.

"What?" she asked, copping amazingly with the sudden change of subject.

"Grace I-I,"

**Vegas**

**August 17, 16:12 EDT**

The team ran through the streets of Vegas, Wally in the lead, as they followed their printed maps. Picking their way, they moved closer and closer toward the man-hole which Wally and M'Gann were saved through. Closer and closer to Rob, though the red-head felt that they weren't making any ground. And they wouldn't till they got in the sewers. Only then could he lead them to the door and to Rob. Now, above the ground, they were just wasting time.

"Okay, this is it," Wally said, easily slipping to a stop on a street corner. The media was gone, and police tape had disappeared, rendering the red-head not even sure whether this really was the same man-hole or not.

"This is it according to our maps," Artemis said, panting heavily like the rest of her team, with the exception of Wally. She noticed how he was the exception of a lot of things. He wasn't growing any happier, yet he was the one that was determined to get Rob home, even before they knew he was missing.

Glancing over her shoulder, she listened to Kaldur when she heard her name.

"Artemis," he was saying, "We will follow Wally into the sewers, and you will follow on land, keeping us updated on what you see. If the people that have Robin somehow know that we are coming, they may attempt to run."

She nodded with understanding, and sighed in relief. No sewers.

"Okay, let's do this! Rob's waiting for us, and M'Gann already said that he was in pain! Who knows what they could be doing to him now!" Wally prompted the team as he rapidly pushed the crosswalk button, waiting for the light of the multi-lane intersection to change.

"Wally, that's not going to help," M'Gann said shyly.

"Well it's making me feel better!" Wally snapped back. No one really knew if he was joking or serious, but they could all sense that he was tense. Raising a single eyebrow, he glanced at the other side of the street where the light read **"WALK"**. "Finally!" he yelled triumphantly, zipping to the center of the crosswalk, eying the man-hole.

M'Gann floated over and raised it using her telekinesis. Wally jumped inside, while Kaldur and Conner carefully climbed. Artemis stood there, pretending to text while her form covered most of what was happening from the waiting drivers. Hearing the clang of the metal trap, she continued to walk across the road, and reached the other side safely. Putting her phone to her ear, she successfully disguised placing her communicator in, which was buzzing with static. "Can you guys hear me?" she asked.

"Loud and well, not so clear, but loud," Wally assured her.

"It will clear once we have escaped from under the intersection," Kaldur said in the background.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just go!" Wally anxiously danced from foot to foot, like a puppy that was waiting to be let off its leash.

"Very well," Kaldur sighed, "Please try not to-" but Wally was gone. "Loose us," the Atlantean finished.

"I can see him," Conner said, stepping beside his teammate.

"And I can sense him, we won't loose him for long," M'Gann assured Kaldur.

Nodding, the trio ran off underground, while Artemis sprinted toward their targeted hotel above ground.

**Vegas**

**August 17, 16:30 EDT**

"Really?" Grace asked, "You're sure that all that is right?"

"Very," Caleb, who had just finished explaining the mystery to Grace, nodded as he moved from the window.

"That's, wow. That's a lot to take in," she sighed.

"But it makes sense, right?" he asked. He knew he solved the mystery of their kidnapping, but he wanted to know that his explanation made sense, since he would be explaining everything to Bats, his team, and probably the rest of the League.

" Oh yeah, yeah it does," she confirmed him.

"I know it will take time to process, but I need you here and now," he said, squatting in front of her as she sat on the bed.

"Why?"

"Because, I... I have a plan to get out," he lied. He wasn't going to tell her what he really planned on doing. They had been rightfully kidnapped, despite the reasons behind it, and their captivator would most likely end up in jail. He would not let that happen, not to Grace. Not after all she's already been though.

Grace's eyes followed Caleb's glance at the door before it was knocked on.

"I hope you're ready!" Bruno said from the other side of the entryway. Standing, and with amazing speed, Caleb zipped over to the door and slammed the dead-bolt. Stepping back, he listened to the furious pounding from the Jock.

"Why did you do that?" Grace asked, standing. "I want to go, I want to see her. I want to see my-"

"Grace!" Caleb snapped at her. "You're not ready! And I..."

"You what?"

"...I don't know what she'll be like, and I don't want you to get hurt! You've already been through so much, and it's up to me to prevent anymore!" he yelled to her. _Well, it was supposed to be. That kinda' failed._

"What...?" the poor girl flooded with emotions. She took a moment to take in with he had just said. He really was protecting her, and she sensed that it wasn't just because Batman told him to. Walking over to him, she met him in front of the bed as he backed away from the door.

The pounding on it almost drowned out her whisper, but Caleb could hear her hesitant words. "I'm more than just a girl, aren't I?" she asked.

"Grace," he sighed, searching for the right, the best, the **true** answer. They had been through so much in the past few days. They had been kidnapped together, the had laughed, cried, and tried to escape together. And this wasn't the first time that she could read him, nor was this the first time that they clicked in full comprehension of the other.

"Caleb," she began, but too was trying to piece herself together.

_Com'on Dick, take a stand. Take the lead_, he thought. He opened his mouth to reply, but Grace Emilia Ross grabbed him and planted a kiss on The Boy Wonder.


	28. 28

**Here's another chapter, after how long? Oh well, could be longer. Anyway, not sure I really like this ending, and not surprised if there are some typos. I only wrote out the very beginning of this chap, so the rest was kind of thrown together. Oh well, again, and again I say enjoy!**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 28.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Vegas**

**August 17, 16:45 EDT**

For Grace Emilia Ross, the kiss that she shared, though it was a simple touch, brought about a seeming static charge that curled itself around every inch of her, making her hair stand on end as it pierced her soul, and rejuvenated her spirit.

For Richard Grayson, however, it was an intoxicating touch that blended his soul and empty passion as one radiant, yet dull, spectrum, with sparks that danced and a spirit that earned. But he knew it was too explosive to last, and the repeating sound of Bruno banging the door in rang in the child's distant ears. The crash violently whipped him back to reality.

"A little privacy!" Grace demanded at Bruno, breaking the queer bond between her and Caleb.

"Oh- I am... oh boy," the Jock stammered.

"Just go!" Grace yelled at him, moving her lips back towards Caleb, who seemed to wait openly for them, as the man fumbled out the door.

A click was heard as the entryway closed, and Dick's fingers was placed on Grace's lips. The girl opened her eyes and stared into his shades.

"No more," he coldly demanded. Even though he was exploding on the inside, his words were harsh and clear.

Standing, Grace's footsteps were drowned away by the silence of the room. Her brown eyes moved out the window as she watched a girl in a white t-shirt and jeans talk to herself just outside the glass. Or was it the ground that the blond, pony-tailed girl spoke too?

Opening her mouth to speak, a choke prevented Grace from apologizing. She wasn't sorry. Sure she had kissed guys before, and sure they all felt the same, but was he really any different? Did she love him more than those other heartbeats? No, she couldn't.

He was The Boy Wonder, he would leave her behind once his duty was over. But she could enjoy him while his attention and caring for her was here, right? He was awesome, and he did care about her. Surely it wasn't an act, not the whole time. No one was that good.

But did his affection stretch farther than brother/sister love?

_Just accept the inevitable... he's gonna leave. Heck, you thought your dad loved you, and he is a murderer._

"You didn't feel... it, did you?" she breathed, hating that she knew what he was going to say.

He sighed deeply as if he was just awakened from something deep. Stretching his back, he placed one hand on his gut. "Yup, I'm starving," he quipped sheepishly. He was the only one who realized that his stomach growled in the middle of their moment.

A broad smile curled Grace's lips as modest chuckles bounced her thin frame. "But not enough to let anyone else know," she referred to Jack offering them the food days before. "You shouldn't give them any reason to think that your weak."

"That's right," he assured her. Glancing at the door, his eyes laid on it before it was slammed open by Grégoire and Bruno who marched through, the Jock blushing severely. Either that or his cheeks were red after Grégoire smacked him.

"So pretty, _is it true_?" the youth asked Grace, trying to embarrass the girl in their native tongue.

_"You guys do know that I speak French?"_ Caleb asked, sarcastic yet a twist of bite in his words that drew the heavy, unwanted attention to himself, and away from her.

"Oh really?" the youth asked him, putting his face close to Robin's. "So tell me, _how was she_?"

Enraged, Robin snarled through his clenched teeth. "Deserves better than any one of us," he warned Grégoire to lay off Grace, and Grace to lay off him. But it was mostly at Grégoire.

"Oh, aren't you cute?..," Grégoire said before jerking Caleb's head back and placing a small blade to the child's throat. "How would you like to be dead?" he maniacally threatened.

Robin laughed. "Seriously twerp, you think I'm scared of a cub scout knife? I've stared into the eyes of Lucifer himself after he took my parents, your serrated butter knife renders as minimal to non-existent threat. Mainly non-existent," he yawned, which made Grace smirk.

Raising his foot, Robin kicked out his frustration in one swift blow to Grégoire's knee, and threw out his stress when he tossed Grégoire over his shoulder, who slammed face first into the wall.

Grace laughed and cheered that she could, for the last time, watch The Boy Wonder in combat, though he would reveal his most endearing quality soon.

Robin went for him again, but was hooked under the arms by Bruno, who hung the child there as Grégoire readied a punch to his gut. The French's fist crunched into Robin's knee, however, and the teen was shoved backwards by The Boy Wonder's other foot against his face. Breaking the other side of his nose.

"Hey guys!" a voice called, and all the small room's occupants froze to glance at Jack. "No wonder she getting impatient," the American said as he released Robin from Bruno's arms. "there's plenty of room in the rent-able sand box. And you, she wants to see you first," he said to Caleb as he straightened the boy's dirty hair.

"Too bad," Caleb quipped as he tugged from Jack and walked over to Grace, messing his hair back to it's 'Robin' style. "Cuz I'm not going."

Jack laughed, but Grégoire responded.

"Yes you are you little brat! Whether you want to or not, you're going up stairs and seeing-"

"No, I'm not," Caleb chuckled after rolling his eyes and doing the "talks to much" motion with his hand at Grace. "Not without her," he said.

"Well she doesn't want to see her," Grégoire stated unemotionally.

Dick sensed the hurt look in Grace's eyes once he said that. "Look you, I'm not going. Not without Grace," he grabbed her wrist to add to his words.

"Kid, look. It's not up to you," Jack tried to convince the child after casting Grégoire onto the bed to shut him up.

"Neither was being kidnapped!" Dick fumed.

"Well you know what, the world doesn't revolve around little Caleb," Jack mocked the child's attitude earlier.

"I've had enough!" Grégoire shouted, drawing his hand-held from behind him.

Everyone in the room tensed even more and shouts of "you don't need to do that", "put that away", and "calm down" were heard about the room. Except from Bruno, who stood there dumbly like always.

"You go!" Grégoire demanded Caleb, motioning to the side with the weapon, "Or I'll put one in your other shoulder."

"Go ahead! There's no way I'm moving from her!" Caleb shouted back.

"Caleb, go," Grace calmly told him off. "Jack, he'll take care of me. I don't want you hurt again."

"Grace, I-I can't," he said, trying to do what he knew was right, but knowing that he should trust the intuition of a woman.

"It's okay. I promise," she said, then gave him a gentle nudge forward, after squeezing him gently around the waist as a good-bye.

Reluctantly, he was lead out of the room by Bruno as Grace pulled Jack in front of her, to use him as a human shield, whether he liked it or not.

The door was closed behind them, and Caleb's feet froze to the ground. _I can get back in. I'm behind Grégoire and Bruno broke the lock when he busted through it. I can get the jump on them, and get Grace out. _But his thoughts went back to when Grace demanded that she wanted to see there captivator. _She wouldn't go, not without meeting- _but his processing was interrupted by Bruno shoving the child into the opposite wall.

Dick didn't try to catch himself, not anymore. He saw the push coming but was too tired, hungry, weak, and distraught to care.

Smiling, Bruno them began to slap him around, literally. Bruno slapped him again, sending his thin body tumbling down the hallway a few feet.

**Vegas**

**August 17, 16:45 EDT**

_"The French Luxury Suites, interesting,"_ Artemis said boringly.

_"Sounds cute,"_ M'Gann thought, flying after Wally, who was running only a few feet ahead now.

"Sounds Cheap," the archer stated, walking around toward the front of it. _"Looks like it's six stories tall, has a few isolated balconies... looks cheap. But the design on the front is nice,"_ she admitted after a pause.

_"We have reached the door,"_ Kaldur informed as he slowed to a walk, approaching his teammates.

"Locked, weird. It wasn't earlier," Wally said, trying the doorknob.

_"Let me try it from the inside,"_ Artemis volunteered, grabbing the door to the lobby of the hotel.

_"No Artemis. Remain outside and perform a perimeter sweep,"_ Kaldur said.

The archer scoffed. "Another one?" she wined as she heard Wally fuse at the door. She chuckled to herself and left the front of the hotel, walking around the right side.

"EUREKA!" Wally yelled as he, again, opened the door and fell inside onto the tile floor of the staircase.

_"Artemis, we are in,"_ Kaldur informed the archer as he, followed by Conner and M'Gann, stepped over Wally's body. _"Remember, M'Gann has still not been able to reconnect with the mind that she did earlier."_

"Your point?" Conner asked as he forced the door to a small hotel room.

_"We must not make our presence here know, assuming that Robin is not here, has been moved, or the people that are holding him are hostile,"_ Kaldur explained.

"Oh yeah, cuz Rob would totally let himself get kidnapped by non-hostile people willingly," Wally teased, annoyed. Rob was there, and they were going to get him. Even if they had to smash in some heads.

_"This means I'm not on perimeter right?"_ Artemis' voice cam back pleadingly.

_"Correct,"_ the Atlantean sighed as he surveyed the hotel room that was attached to the stairwell. "Split up, and remain covert," he warned Wally against doing anything rash.

_Hang on Rob, we're coming for you!_ The red-head thought to himself, but didn't care at this point if M'Gann heard him. Everyone knew that his and The Boy Wonder were the closest on the team, and they always will be. Assuming that they all get out of this alive.

**Vegas**

**August 17, 16:45 EDT**

Pulling Caleb up, the man have drug, have walked the child out of the hallway and they entered the tiny lobby of the hotel. As the door to the hallway closed, Robin could almost here the voice of Conner come from inside, but brushed it off. He had better things to be doing that hallucinating.

Nodding a hello to the clerk, Bruno shoved the child aside as he asked the receptionist where the staircase was. Robin's keen eyes wearily glanced out the window. "Artemis," he breathed as he saw her pace from side to side, bored, but tense. Freakishly tense. Robin stared in disbelief, he didn't know that the team would be in Vegas. Were they after him? Had they somehow found him, were they tracking him this entire time...?

But his inquiries were interrupted by Bruno's large hand grasping his shoulder, paining the already wore down child. Walking toward a door that was left of the large desk, Robin prayed that he wouldn't have to climb stares. He did, several flights of them actually, and finally came to the fourth floor.

Bruno stopped at room two-zero-seven, Graces number was one-one-seven, and knocked on the door. Robin waited in the stale hallway, preparing his greeting to the woman.

Realizing that he had zoned out entirely on the conversation that Bruno had had with the woman inside, he looked in at the room through the open door. Raising a hand, Bruno shoved the seemingly hesitant boy inside, and left him and the woman.

Robin started the conversation immediately. "Hello, Cerena Ross."


	29. 29 4 More Until Epilogue!

**Take a deep breath. This is one of the last chapters, and I have crammed it full so that I can still submit the promised the 32. So, this chapter is very, very whelming. Be prepared. And please review. Pls pls pls! I am begging for critique! I have read a lot of really good stories, and the lack of reviews have discouraged me about my own skills. So pls pls pls review, I'm begging!**

**And exhale.**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 29.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Vegas**

**August 17, 17:30 EDT**

"Hello Cerena Ross," Robin half snapped at, half taunted the woman of the fact that he so easily knew who she was. He was giddy with emotion, for a number of reasons.

After a moment of recollecting, Cerena combed her long, thick, brown hair behind her ear and gathered her attitude. "It appears as if there is something wrong with my manners," she spoke softer than Robin expected, "for you know me, yet I don't know you."

He scoffed at her remark. _So Grace's mother_, he thought. "I'm Robin," he blurted out, so happy to be done with the lie. Of course it wasn't under the best circumstances, but still it was nice to breathe again. "Yes, **The** Robin, **The** Boy Wonder, the protege of **The** Batman," he recited the best he could his words that defined himself to Grace, almost perfectly too.

He watched Cerena's demeanor change instantly to that of suspicion, fear, and to protectiveness. "Is that so?" she asked of him, reaching around and grabbing something that lay behind her black, leather, trench coat. Pulling out yet another pistol, she pointed it toward the ceiling.

Robin sighed.

"And I guess you're going to turn me over the to police for kidnapping?" she threatened, "I'll warn you here and now; I'm not going. Not easily. I can't leave Grace, not like this, and not with him." She was serious.

"I'm glad," he said, his dry humor relaxing the situation. "And actually, no I'm not going to turn you over to the police, nor Batman. I doubt that Batman even knows that I'm here." his words trailed off at the end of his reaction. IF the Bat knew where he was, he certainly wouldn't be there anymore.

"Really?" her appreciation for his help was whelming, shown clearly through her sparkling reply. "Why should I believe you?"

But her words fell on deaf ears as Robin felt his body began to sway. _Oh boy._ But the rocking only got worse as he felt darkness creeping over his eyes, mind, and conscious. _Crap_, he thought as he rubbed his forehead, thumping his shoulder against the wall.

The pain of the impact was choked by the hissing voice of dark stasis. _So long with little rest. So little food. So much blood lost..._ it taunted The Boy Wonder as his eyes swirled and pulsed with the throbbing of his head. The grip tightened, threatening to extinguish his collective mind. Along with his conscious.

"Listen," he tried to Cerena, but his words echoed tirelessly in his head, making it pulsate even more. He felt his body rest against the wall. Reaching up, he ran his sweaty fingers through his nasty, ebony wig.

_"Can I have some water?" _he heard himself ask, though his lips didn't move. _Crap- again._

_"R-Robin! Is that you?"_ M'gann's excited words shattered the somewhat stillness of his thoughts. She then proceeded to connect with the rest of the team, thinning The Boy Wonder's mind out like a pancake.

"No!" he gasped, holding his ears.

"Are you alright?" Cerena asked, holding his trembling, tiny shoulders.

He gazed up at her as she sat him on the bed. "Can I just have some water?" his voice forced itself to be audible, though it barely escaped his quivering lips. _"M'gann, disconnect us! Now!"_ he ordered, simultaneously splashing the cold water that was offered him onto his head. His mind crashed like an overloaded website once M'Gann was forced to server the connection, due to the rapid sensation. Leaning forward, he supported his chin on his knee as he doubled over.

"Thank you," he coughed to Cerena, his mind quickly rebooting. Cerena lowered her hand from his forehead and watched him intently, making sure that he was okay. _Moms_. "Look-"

"Are you okay? Is there anything that I can get you?" she asked sternly, yet her care for him shot out any doubt that he was in trouble.

_Got any food? _"Uh, no," he stared at her from under his glasses. "Cerena, Young Justice is here, like in this hotel- right now," he groaned, shaking his head side to side, water dripping everywhere.

"What?" she asked, her brown eyes growing wider than before. "No, I am not getting arrested," this time, she did sound like she was scolding him as she continued to fore it in his head. "I am not leaving Grace with-"

"Ross? The man that murdered Jennifer Blye and beat you? No, no you're not. Because I'm getting you and Grace out, together," he sat up and looked at her eye to eye while she sat across from him on the bed. "Cerena relax, geez woman. I'm not letting them get you," he drilled it into her head this time, while he lay across the bedspread, grabbing the gun from where it lay. "Sure you hired some goon to kidnap a girl, but she's your daughter and you were protecting her from Ross. You hired Grégoire to watch over Grace for you, but once you learned that Ross was so much as blinked at twice for a murder, you told Grégoire to get Grace the heck out of DC. You love your kid, and wanted to get her here, in Vegas, with you. And away from him.

"You have a very pretty house by the way," he motioned back to her, glancing over his left shoulder on his way to the window to tend to the open blinds. After securing the gun in his belt, for future use, he closed the curtains and locked the door.

"Thank you."

He nodded cordially.

"And, that's exactly right," she confirmed his story as she thanked him or understanding and helping, bringing a smile to the child's face. "Bout time someone got my side of the story."

"I get it. Really," he first confirmed her that he did believer her side, but continued slowly, trying to convince himself that he still remembered what motherly love felt like, "You were keeping your daughter safe... and you shouldn't, and you're not, going to jail for it. It just would have saved me some trouble if you told Grégoire to tell a body the story of why he's kidnapping you," he mumbled.

"He didn't?"

"Uh, no. But don't worry, instead he threw Grace and myself into the trailer of an eighteen wheeler, forgot to feed and water us, and shot me. But I'm okay with that now," he summed up what had been done to Grace and him during their trip. The pain in his shoulder was still present, but only when he thought about it. What hurt him most was what he allowed to be done to Grace. He had been shot before, often actually, and even more severe. But Grace was a civilian, and he failed in protecting her.

"What? No, that's not what I told him to do. Not at all. I never authorized an eighteen wheeler, nor a gun. He was supposed to find Grace, convince her to come along, then take a plane here. I even bought the tickets. But he said that they missed the flight, and would have to take the train or some sort of taxi," she collected herself watching Robin mope about, trying to collect himself.

"Well at least trains give you food," he muttered, again grabbing his head as some dizziness overtook him.

Cerena sighed and shook her head as she escorted him to the bed. "Okay, if he didn't explain it to you, then how did you figure it out?" she asked finally.

"Com'on lady, give me some credit. Grégoire and his goons left me alone with the internet." But his attention was drawn away once he saw a shadow fly across the curtains. "Okay listen to me," he spoke quietly, scooting close to Cerena's side, "I am getting you and Grace out of here, I swear. I just need to find a way," he spoke to himself, looking to the side.

"How about the secret door downstairs. It leads to the sewer system," she casually offered, and watched Robin slowly, almost deviously, grin.

"Where downstairs?"

"At the end of every hallway, there are two doors. The one on the right leads to a staircase, where there's another door that leads to the sewers," she explained, with appropriate hand gestures.

The Bot Wonder cracked a smirk. "Then I'll go get Grace, you get packed, and I'll meet you down there," he strategized, violently unlocking the door.

"You'll need a key," she nodded.

He took the card and slipped out. "Hey, Cerena?" he asked for her, poking his head back in.

"Yes?"

"These guys are good, so try not to get caught. But in case you do, lie!"

Zipping down the stairs, leaping down the final few flights, he entered the hallway which contained room zero-zero-six. Jack was the one who opened the door, was knocked to the side as Robin bound into the room, drawing the gun that he got from Cerena.

"Don't move," he threatened Greoire, Bruno, and Jack as he marched to Grace. "Put your guns on the bed and get into the bathroom!" Motioning with the pistol, he grabbed Grace's wrist. But she wrenched it from him and wrapped his cold, nervous fingers around the handle of another hand-held.

His eyes darted down to it, and back to hers. They stared at him in _that_ way, the way that says 'oh yeah' where that spark glows in just the right way. The look that only the right girl can capture without it burning her eyes out.

"You mean this gun?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow and swinging her hips at him.

"I'm not even gonna' ask," Robin mused at her with a chuckle. He had no intentions to investigate the wiles of a girl. None at all. "Okay, move it. Get going," he ordered the three men.

Grace clung to his side as he ushered the men to the bathroom. "You're good," she whispered to him, glaring over the gun to the three.

"I'm winging it," he whispered back, hiding his mouth with his shoulder, since one hand held the gun and holding Grace behind him wit the other.

Locking the door, he smirked at her, though the dark was again creeping over him. "Let's go," he whispered excitedly.

"We're seeing my mom aren't we?" she asked as she followed him out.

He slowly nodded, trying to figure out the words to say. "Soon enough."

"Robin?" she grabbed his wrist. "Something's wrong, I can tell."

"Look Grace, Young Justice is here looking for me," he hoped that's what they were doing. Why else would they be in Vegas. "I have to get you and your mom out, before they find- you," he explained, changing the subject of his team's search to the two of them instead of him. He wasn't a bad guy, they wouldn't be looking for him.

Together they slipped out the door, and readied themselves to move toward the infamous door. Their footsteps padded the ground, the two of them moving as one, minds synched like partners. He had the plan, she had the ability to read it and adapt.

Suddenly, Robin dropped to the floor, grabbing his head. The dark, sleepy stasis was coming back and he felt M'gann searching for him.

_"Misses Martian," They're actually acting like it's a mission..? "I am going to search the bottom floor again,"_ Kaldur informed those that were in the telepathic link. Robin also heard Artemis volunteer to go with him.

"Caleb?" Grace breathed, kneeling before him, her eye searching his panting body.

"Go go," he shoved her while standing. The move startled her, allowing his arm to push her over. "Com'on!" he spoke to her, offering a hand to raise her to her feet. _They couldn't make this easy, could they?_ He smirked at his thought, he was starting to sound like himself, despite the intense pain and the lingering idea that M'gann could hear him.

Grace drug him for the first few steps, but once the mental chatter subsided, he quickly drew the lead and led her to the end of the hall. Like lightning, he swiped the card then shoved Grace in just as the door at the opposite end of the long hallway opened.

Robin walked right into Grace, who was frozen in terror. Quickly, instinctively rather, he shoved in front of her so that he could see what the horror was. The breathe left him as the glare of two burning emerald eyes met his wet, weak blue ones.

"Kf," he breathed.


	30. 30, 3 More 'Till Epilogue

**ONLY A FEW CHAPTERS LEFT! Sorry...**

**I really liked how this chapter turned out. Let me know if you agree!**

**Btw, I'm taking a poll of the sequel. I already have two story ideas, one is planned and one isn't really. But more on that later, like at the bottom of the chapter. **

**Thanks for reading and pls pls pls review!**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 30.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Vegas**

**August 17, 18:12 EDT**

Grace pushed away from Robin and searched the room, clearly keeping her senses about her. "Where is she?" the child asked Kid Flash and Robin while she looked for her mother. However her search came up empty, nor did she receive a reply from the heroes. "Caleb!" she called to the child, not noticing that her words were barely audible behind her swallowed sobs.

Robin, as if awoken from a daze, looked at Grace, who was wiping her eyes in her attempt to refrain from getting even more emotional. "KF, where's Cerena?" The Boy Wonder's gaze shot back to his friend.

Wally, still in his civvies, he crossed his arm over his chest. "Police custody," he lied.

"What!" Grace and Robin replied in unison, connecting like they had so many times in their few days together.

"Yeah, that's right. I caught her trying to escape, so I turned her in."

"No KF!" Robin pleaded with Wally, The Boy Wonder's humble words clashing with his friend's scowl. "Grace, go on. I'm going to get your mom," he ordered, glaring at Wally as he shoved him to the side.

"Wait- mom?" the redhead asked, regaining his balance and a hand on the door, preventing it from opening. The redhead clenched his fists at the rather pathetic sight of his friend, and the rather puny shove. It hurt him to see Rob like this, stinky, obviously in pain, and weak. But he wanted recognition for finding his friend, and Rob's reaction wasn't making the redhead feel any better.

"Yes Wally, mom. Cerena is Grace's mom," Robin snapped, not caring that his tone would have normally stricken anguish in his sentimental friend. But this was not normal. Robin was tired, sore, dirty, and hungry. But above all, he was tired of being Robin. He was more than ready to get this entire thing behind him. Go home, get food, get showered, and get life going normally. He certainly wasn't doing anymore undercover work for a while.

"Mom?" Wally asked again, his voice representing how small he felt. Robin was mad, really really mad, and the anger was toward him. "No, Rob. Wait-" he asked grabbing the boy's tiny shoulder, making him tense submissively.

In rage at his own instincts, Robin grabbed the hand and threw Wally into the door before him, knocking the air out of the speedster as his back hit the wood. "No Wally, I am not going to wait! You turned an innocent woman over to uniforms!"

"Innocent?" Wally coughed jokingly, "Hello Rob, are you delirious or something? She kidnapped you! And her," he motioned to Grace who was pacing nervously.

"Only in the technical sense of the word. Wally, listen to me," the tone in Rob's words told Wally that he was trying to remain as calm as he could while pleading. "Ross beat Cerena, thus Cerena ran to Vegas. Cerena hired Grégoire to watch over Grace, but told him to get Grace out of DC when Ross killed Jennifer Blye."

"Hey, I have been running my butt off looking for you, I do not need attitude-" Wally scolded, mentioning the way that Rob explained the story to him, the child sounded like he was attending to a three year old.

"LISTEN TO ME!" Robin yelled into the speedster's face. He had tried, really tried, to keep his cool, but Wally refused to simmer down.

The humanity inside The Boy Wonder didn't allow him to rip Wally's heart out, but he would settle with bouncing Wally against the door. Grasping his trembling hands around the teen's collar, Dick screamed at him. "Cerena was protecting Grace from her murderous father! Protecting, not kidnapping! Do you understand me!"

After a moment that dragged on for eternity, Dick breathed back a sob before continuing. "I watched my parents die before my eyes. Both of them! I will never get to hear how much my mother loved me, or what she would have done for me. And so help me if I ever take that away from a girl who deserves it!" his breathing shook as he slowly let go of Wally's wrinkled shirt. Biting his bottom lip to hold back an outburst, he glanced at Grace.

She returned his crumbled stare with one of strength and endurance, despite the tears. So much so that she nearly scared him, forcing him to avert his eyes.

Wally stared at Dick's small, weak, and trembling frame. Letting a kidnapper go would be wrong. It would go against everything that the team did, all that they worked for. But Rob believed that it was right. And Rob is never wrong when it comes to stuff like this.

Wally's over-stimulated mind escaped the room as he thought back to the multiple times that Robin had showed amazing wisdom and judgment. There was the time where The Boy Wonder decided to let the head of a weapon smuggling ring go instead of conducting an attack. A few days later the man resurfaced again, but this time he led Young Justice to the mother-load of the stolen weapons. Just a month ago, Robin again refused to let the team enter a building for surveillance. Turned out that the place was rigged to the teeth with motion sensors and explosives. Not only that, but they learned that the mission was also a hostage situation- not even Batman knew that.

_Rob is never wrong_, Wally's vast mind kept echoing. _Never. Not once. He was always right, never wrong. _Finally Wally was unwillingly thrust back to harsh reality, but his mind was decided.

"I saw her exit the room through the closet, but you arrived before I could pursue," Wally admitted, feeling that his words made the others tense.

"What?" Robin's eye followed Grace as she examined the closet.

"There's a stinkin' door in here!" she screamed excitedly. "A stupid door!" her brown locks fell about her shoulders as she poked her head back out.

"Yup," Wally said, his tone mocking his normal voice remarkably. "So, then. I guess I'll just be on my way-"

"Wally," Robin said, preventing his friend from leaving by grabbing his wrist. "Wait," the child asked after a moment. Turning, he grabbed Grace's hand, leading her through the door and into the stairwell.

Walking into the small, white room, they smelled the distinct stench of sewage. A black shadow emerged from the stairs, curiously studying the children. But upon seeing Grace, the woman gave a breath of relief.

Thick tears rolled down Grace's cheeks as she ran to the woman in black. Wrapping herself in her mother's arms, Grace let the stress roll out in her sobs and her soul jumped for joy, making her heart thump wildly.

"Oh my baby, my baby-" Cerena cried, rubbing her daughters thick, brown hair and kissing her head.

Robin, needing to escape the emotion, checked the door that lead to the sewers. He opened it and sighed, struggling to swallow the rush of hormones. They were almost too much as his eyelids closed upon themselves, preventing tears from wetting his cheeks.

He glanced over his shoulder as a pair of thin, gentle arms wrapped themselves around his waist. Grace rested her chin on his skinny shoulder, staring into the backsides of his glasses.

Twisting slightly he looked back at her, loosing himself in the dark pools that stared dreamily back at him. "You okay?" he asked, his voice smooth and rich. His instincts were raw, but he still cared deeply for his sister, the one that he never had.

She shrugged, filled with pride in her comeback. "I've never been okay...er?" she smiled amongst her breathy giggle.

He chuckled, then turned to face her and grasped her hands in his. "Better?" he asked cheerfully, amused. The exact words that they told each other before any of this happened, and when Grace was still convinced that he was a demon child, escaped their lips. "And I'm glad." Dick added.

They stared at one another, daring the other to clasp the inevitable and decide the next move. Casting her eyes away, she smiled nervously. Just him being there made it easier to swallow the nervous pit forming in her stomach. What was going to happen? What was he going do to her mother and her?

Shattering the silence, yet not the anxiety, he dug his hand behind him into his back pocket. "Here," he said, reaching through the doorway and into the stairwell, he offered Cerena a debit card. "This has enough on it to last you... a while. At least for temporary living and food 'till you can get a job somewhere. There's at least four or five months left, and if it gets low I'll transfer more into the account, which is untraceable. But if you ever try, the money will be wired to a disclosed location and the account will be instantly terminated," he informed her.

A lump formed in the child's throat as he considered what else he had to say. But after the inner turmoil in him subsided, he was resolute, but not happy. "You have to leave Vegas. Disappear somewhere, I don't want to know where, you just have to go." He hated using the classic 'if I ever see you again' speech, but it's all he knew. It wasn't every day that one found himself in a situation quite like this one. "Now go," he said to ease the tension.

"Thank you," Cerena said, nodding curtly. "For everything," she specified, bringing her daughter close to her.

He smiled for his reply. Admitting verbally what he was doing was admitting that he was disobeying everything that he was trained for, yet he knew to the last that he was right.

Fighting the dark that was again creeping over him, Dick turned inside, letting the door to the sewers close behind him. He wanted to walk, but his feet wouldn't move. He wanted to cry, to let his soul sob, but he didn't dare. He didn't want to say good-bye, yet he wanted to end this more than anything. Leaning his head against the wall, his black hair flipped up as he slid down, relaxing his tense legs best he could to keep them from shaking.

Listening to himself breath, he heard Grace call for him from somewhere in the sewers. "Thank you Caleb Lyman, and good luck in the orphanage!"

He smiled when she mentioned bot his full alias and his story. Those would be two objects of undercover work that he would happily retire. Dick felt the darkness pull and tug at him, wrenching his soul for rest and prying his heart into momentary peace. Closing his eyes, he answered it. _Go ahead._

* * *

**Now, as I promised, the sequel. At the end of the next few chapters I'm going to reveal something about the two sequels that I have for this story. Well, one is a light sequel (meaning that you don't have to read this one in order to get it, but it will help). The other, however, is entirely separate.**

**Now, the first one that I have, like I said, is slightly related to this one, and focuses on Roy and Dick, and a little Wally later. NO SLASH**

**The second, the one that is entirely unrelated, is mainly Wally, but it- of course- will have some Dick_._ And it also introduces another Young Justice Team. ;)**

**That's all I'll say for this chapter, and please wait till more is revealed to vote. Oh, and you vote by saying which one you want in a review, it's not one my profile or anything. **

**Thanks guys!**_  
_


	31. 31, 2 More Left 'Till Epilogue!

**Yay! Only 2 more left! Well till the epilogue, but we're not counting that. Not sure why... **

**Again, check at the bottom of the chapter for another reveal-r about my next story ideas! And pls review!**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 31.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Vegas**

**August 17, 19:00 EDT**

"Rob! Don't worry buddy, I gotcha!" Wally says as his gentle arms grab you, effortlessly lifting you into the air. "M'gann, guys- I got him!" he yells, joy filled in his words. It's a combination really, of both happiness and relief.

You feel it too. The relief that this is over, it's all over. _Unless Batman catches them..._

You force the thought to retreat. He won't, he couldn't possibly! You know what you did, as wrong as it may have been, was right (which is weird). And Bats does trust you to do the right thing, that's why he gave the protection detail in the first place. For once he actually trusted you. And up in got yourself got kidnapped. You'll be hearing about **that** later. But you can't worry about the inevitable grounding now, for someone else has captured your thoughts.

_"Hey M'gann,"_ you think contentedly.

Her excited squeal about bursts your ear drums, but that's okay. Everything's okay now. You feel the concrete ground embrace you as Wally, your friend, sets you on it. He is your friend, despite what you said to him, he's always there. Unaware to you, he feels the same way. He can't hold grudges, and you know that better than anyone. Because of his crazy forgiving nature, you know that you're on good terms. Now if only Artemis could see him like you do.

"What did you do to him?" Well, speaking of the duchess of deception herself. "Wally!" Artemis threatens and you wonder if she can hear you. But your thoughts disperse and grow gray. Then your mind becomes dark as the Martian puts you to sleep. But that's okay too, you don't really care about it. Actually, your last thought is making sure that you remember to thank her later, once you wake up again. And that's not going to be anytime soon.

"Whoa Artemis, calm down! You know he can hear you!" Wally said, motioning to the child cradled in M'gann's arms.

She lifts her eyes as they return to their normal red. "Actually he can't, not anymore. I just put him to sleep. His spirit was begging for it," she sympathized with her youngest teammate.

"Great, now he can't hear you while I pound your head in!" Artemis threatened, her locked hands tightening on her bow.

"Why is it my fault! Why is everything my fault? Whoa," Wally dropped down and spun behind the archer as she lunged for him, grabbing her bow from her. "I didn't do anything to him! I just found him!" It wasn't a real lie, I mean Wally did find Rob...

"And he was just on the verge of passing out?" she glared.

"Yes, he was. He has undergone some severe stress in the past few days," M'gann said, her voice attempting to sound confident.

"Severe stress? What does that mean?" Conner asked, making his presence known.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't wish to further investigate his mind," the Martian coiled back, grabbing her wrist.

"Perhaps that is the best idea," Kaldur said. He too had walked out to the small parking lot in front of the hotel with Conner. "We should get him to a hospital."

"Oh oh, I'm on it!" Wally said, hoisting Rob up and running off. He wanted to talk with the child as soon as he awoke, and wanted to be the first.

The rest of the team glanced at each other. Shrugging, Conner turned and started toward the hotel, followed by M'gann. Artemis walked behind, mauling the entire situation over in her head. What had those creeps done to Rob? Jerking out of her thoughts, she brought her hand to her face and examined it. If only Wally could see how level headed she really was...

Kaldur took a step to pursue his team, but halted, glancing back inside the lobby. They were not yet done at that hotel. The people who dared to take and keep Robin from them were in there, and justice will meet them. With great interest, the Atlantean studied a tall man with black hair and a black leather jacket over top his white t-shirt that had just barged into the lobby. Kaldur then realized that the man was looking at him, and that he was staring back. Blushing slightly, despite the curt nod, Kaldur turned and fell in suit of his team.

"Great, how are we going to pay for a hospital room?" Artemis moaned as she walked into their elaborate hotel room. The group never realized exactly how great their hotel was until they crawled throughout the walls of the one that Rob had been in.

"Perhaps the Justice League can make some sort of fund?" M'gann asked.

"Oh yeah, Batman will sell cookies and Superman will set up a lemonade stand," the archer returned, but froze in thought about what she just said.

Laughter rang through the room accompanied by the mental images of Batman and Superman that Artemis was kind enough to elaborate upon. They imagined The Dark Knight with a blue, Girl Scouts apron on, sitting outside the closest Walmart. And Superman in a white dressing gown, not really sure why, slumped in a plastic chair on a street corner. Beside him sat a table with a white sign that read-

**Supey's Lemonaid**

**¢25**

The team choked with giggles and chuckles as they thought about it.

Vegas

August 19, 13:12 EDT

Wally's emerald eyes opened with some sort of mostly transparent film over them. Slowly blinking and rubbing them, he changed the movement into a stretch. His back hurt. Ow, so did his neck. Ouch... and his tail-bone, and arm, and hand, and cheek. Looking around the room, he attempted to move from the chair that he had fallen asleep in. His knees popped and his joints shook as he managed to stand. On his way to the door he didn't notice a small, thin person sitting up in the bed, watching him- until it was too late.

"Morning," Rob smirked, while stifling a yawn.

"WHA-" Wally screamed, leaping ten feet into the air. "Rob!" he yelled as the child fell over an died in laughter at the speedster's reaction. "Dude!" Wally shot at Dick, but his signature laugh only ensued.

"Oh lighten up," Dick commanded playfully, heaving his torso back onto the bed. Leaning his sweaty back against the large pillow, he held his head tenderly. That was a little too much.

"You- you... ah fo'get it!" Wally said in his best New York accent. The two boys perked up and stared at each other, a glow of knowing and a glint of joy in their eyes.

"Allen! Allen! Al- Allen!" they stared yelling, in unison, their voices as high-pitched as the children could muster them. The two again exploded in laughter, making Dick tense and grab his head tighter.

"You okay?" Wally asked, his tone was joking but the question was serious.

"I'm hungry," Dick moaned, dropping his head back, only for it to slam against the head board of the bead. "Ow!" he leaned his chest against his legs as a deep hollow thud split the air in the room.

"Whoa D, calm yourself," Wally said, instantly by his friend's side.

Dick only clenched his hair, tears forming at the tips of his eyes.

"Hey- hey now," Wally soothed, sitting on the side of the bed. "You're okay now, we got chya'," he said, rubbing Dick's hot back with his fingertips. After a moment of silence, that was only broken occasionally by Dick's raspy breaths, Wally smiled sympathetically down to the child. "Dude, just let them roll. There's nothing wrong with crying," he said softly.

Suddenly Dick lunged away from him and curled into a small ball on his side. Wally's words struck a nerve, one that Dick forgot that he even had. He remembered perfectly when the juvenile services system told him the exact opposite. He was beaten if he ever shed a tear and was convinced that real men don't cry, taking what little was left of his innocent childhood.

Wally watched him with hurt eyes as the child slowly stood. "I'm fine," Dick choked, pressing his shades up his nose. It was the only thing that reminded Wally truly of the child he knew. The jokes, pulling away from his delicate touch, they were all wrong.

Dick went to take a step, but his weak legs gave way and he fell forward, cracking his hand on the wall as he tried to clumsily catch himself.

Racing to his side, Wally saw Dick in the fetal position on the floor, shaking his hand agonizingly. "Dude com'on, think," Wally said, forcing the child to accept his help as he stood. "You can't go out there, you can't even walk. Just go back to bed." Moving to the side, he began to drag Dick to the fluffy bedspread.

"No!" Dick said harshly. "I need- my dad..."

"Richard!" Wally warned him, drawing the child's undivided attention. Wally's tone reminding Dick of the 'warden' that was in charge of the kids that were unfortunate enough to be in the services. "Go to bed. You're too weak to do anything."

Dick stared at him, then laid down, tugging the sheets over his small body as if he was trying to hide. Wally reached across him and slipped the shades off. Watching the disturbed blue eyes flutter closed, Wally was stricken with grief.

Tossing the glasses toward the end of the mattress, the redhead closed the door behind him as he left the room. Sighing deeply, he slid down the door, feeling the wood against his back. What had he done? He had never seen Dick quite that... vulnerable. Sure he had seen Dick get pretty freaked out- tremble even- but never like that. It was a different fear, one that isn't pinned with safety, but the mind. Something in Dick's past had scared him just that much. It wasn't even really Dick, he really was delusional. Did he even recognize his near childhood friend?

Wally couldn't take it anymore. He had been with Dick every moment that he possibly could be, even some that he wasn't. And when Wally wasn't with him, his thoughts rarely escaped those about The Boy Wonder. It wasn't romantic love, nor was it obsession. It was passion, one that you could only get after being through so much with another person in such a short window of time. And it was about to end. Dick, poor Dick, was so weak. He was a few days away from starving, and the first time that he woke up was just a few minutes ago. There was no way that he could eat if he didn't sleep long enough to gather the strength so that he could stay awake. But if he didn't eat then he would starve, and only sleep more.

Wally prayed to whatever God that would listen that Dick would get better. He didn't know what to do without his other half. His best friend, the other part of the epic bromance. His brother. The little brother that the West's lost all those years back. It was a miscarriage, but it still stuck the same.

Wally's parents didn't know that he knew, but he figured it out- with some help from his uncle.

_ Please, please, please make him better. Not overnight or anything, but at least strong enough to eat something. And if it really comes down to it... not saying that it will, but it if does, could You do me a favor and take me instead?_

* * *

**Now, the next two stories. **

**As you know, the first is mainly Wally, but a little Dick. And it includes torture. That's your next clue. I'm not going to tell you who, but someone gets hurt really badly!**

**The second one, which is mainly Red Arrow and Dick- with some Wally later- doesn't include physical torture, but the two discover some things about Roy and they can't do a thing about it.**

**Vote in your reviews, and whichever story you choose, that's the one that will be next. Thanks!**


	32. Final Chapter!

**Sorry that this has taken so long to update... but you know, I have a life. That has been really busy lately. **

**Anyway, pls pls pls pls pls review. **

**And I think I messed something up somewhere, cuz THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER! Aside from the Epilogue, of course.**

**Anyway, more revelations from the next stories at the bottom. **

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**.®.®.®.®.®.Chapter 32.®.®.®.®.®.**

**Vegas**

**August 20, 3:23 EDT**

The window of Dick's hotel room slid up, which was easy since Wally left it opened a crack. Dick and him were sleeping in the same room and the redhead figured that a nice breeze would keep the healing child cool at night. And for some other reasons that were a secret.

A tall, muscular figure dropped inside and surveyed the room. Dick's bed was the closest to the window, so he didn't have to go far to say his peace. Wally was fast asleep in the other bed, well, so it would appear. The distinct sent of hotel stained the room, but other than that it was nice. I guess anything would be nice at that time of night, especially after what you just went though.

The figure snapped three times, the crisp sound of each slit the still air of the room, specifying that they were made by one who was good with their hands.

Wally rolled over in the bad and moaned. The signal wasn't working. But then the redhead's eyes peaked open as a silent breeze tickled his cheek. Studying the room with a curious frown he sat up, only for a hand to grab his mouth as a second to secure him in place.

"You said that 'the signal' would work," the voice sneered, but Wally could hear the love behind it.

"Well it did, didn't it?" Wally grunted as the hand was lifted.

"Point," the figure said, returning the redhead's look. A smile curved the boy's lips, and they embraced each other in a tight man hug.

"Thanks for comin' Roy," Wally said.

"No prob, thanks for keeping me in the loop," Roy said as they ended their embrace. "How is he?"

"Still asleep," Wally glanced as Dick's small body over his shoulder.

"Isn't that normal?" Roy asked, putting his hands of his hips playfully. He winced after the movement and grabbed his side.

"What's wrong with you?" Wally asked, escorting the archer to take a seat of the bed.

"You would not believe the time I had tonight. I'm the only one that knows that you're all here, right?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. You're the only one that I told and I imagine that I'm the only one that would have told anybody."

"Good," Roy said, painfully twisting his back to stretch it. "Keep it that way."

"Yes sir," Wally quietly joked. It was good that Roy was here, even if Dick was asleep and wouldn't know it.

"So, has he eaten anything?" the archer asked as he rounded the edge of Wally's bed and peered onto Dick's.

"A little. He has made some progress, but at least he knows who I am," Wally shrugged, mumbling the last part to himself, but wasn't surprised when Roy reacted. "Yeah, he woke up yesterday afternoon and was hallucinating real badly. But he went back to sleep and has been fine since. Well, at least mentally. I hope."

Roy gave a friendly scoff. "You never can tell. Did you get any samples for me?"

"Unfortunately yes," Wally said, grabbing a bag that was under his bed. "But seriously, next time you want some deadly chemical or something to waste your time with, you dig through your best friends vomit," he said, tossing the back which was snatched out of the air by Roy.

"Evidence," he said simply, reading the giant label that was taped on the flat side of the baggie.

"You sound surprised that he had an Evidence bag in his belt," Wally say as he crossed his legs, covering them with the sheets.

"I would be worried if he didn't. Thanks," Roy replied, stashing the Evidence into his quiver.

"So what do you want with that anyway?" Wally asked after a moment of watching the smallest child's peaceful slumber.

"I have my reasons," Roy replied sharply, but Wally shrugged it off. "I have to go, you take care," Roy said as him and Wally hugged again.

"I will," Wally promised.

Leaving the redhead, Roy walked back to the window. Stopping for just a moment, he gently rubbed Dick's black hair. "You get better squirt," he said, then watched Wally climb back into bed. He wanted to stay, to be by his brother's sides, but he couldn't. He was risking enough taking the time to come all the way to Vegas, even if he had to turn around and go back a few minutes later.

Giving one last look, he disappeared out the window, closing it best he could once he was out.

Silence again embodied the room, absorbing the darkness easily. Quiet filled Wally's heart, but his wasn't the only spirit that was stirred. A small, happy smile turned the lips of Dick as he lay there, considering what Wally and Roy did for him.

**Vegas**

**August 17, 11:00 EDT**

The door of that room opened the next morning as Dick walked through it. Decked out in his civvies, he was beyond happy to be walking instead of laying in that bed. Sure it was comfortable for a time, but that time wasn't long if you were The Boy Wonder. He was dieing to go home and get some much needed movement out through some stiff training.

Now that he wasn't running a fever anymore and he could actually think straight, Grace didn't seem that big a problem. Really, no one had asked about her and there was no need to worry. Actually, all the drama and worrying about her seemed foolish, and he couldn't believe that he really cared that much for her. Sure she would always have a place in his heart as the worst 'mission gone wrong' event, but he wasn't in love with her, no way.

Then why was the TV on the local news to see if she was caught and why was logging onto his bank account to see of any money was spent with the intent of transferring more in?

He heard footsteps, but refused to look away from his screen, making sure that this was done before any one saw him doing it. "Hey Artemis," he said collectedly, pounding the keyboard.

Despite himself, his eyes rose from the monitor when he heard someone clear their throat, and it wasn't a female grunt either.

"Robin, it is I, Kaldur," the Atlantean said hesitantly as if the shock that he wasn't Artemis would crumble the boy.

"Really? Cuz you walk like a girl," Robin said eyes again glued to the screen. Now he was checking e-mail, the local news website to see if there was anything there, and was back to watching his bank account. Next his Dick Greyson fb, twitter, and his several e-mail accounts were cleared and the notifications, updates, and unread messages were deleted, looked through, and read, he went back to his bank account.

_ Nothing. That's either good or bad._

And by now both Conner and M'gann had entered, were greeted, relieved of their questions, and thanked for asking. And Robin again checked his bank account and searched the Gotham PD's latest uncovered files and unsolved cases. _Twenty-three, geez I'm behind on the times._

Oh yeah, he still had it. And it wasn't even noon yet. Speaking of food-

"Hey Rob, you're up!" Wally said, plopping down on the arm of the chair.

"Yes, yes I am," Robin replied absentmindedly at he scanned a report about Black Mask's latest scheme in Gotham. Gotham, his home. He missed it. He even missed Bruce and that was saying something. The last thing that Bruce said to him was reassuring him that this mission would be okay and that he would be fine. He was **so** going to rub **that** in the millionaire's face. Well, he would once he got back to the Manor.

"What where you guys doing in Vegas anyway?" he asked suddenly. He was taken back by how his small, quiet voice seemed to be heard by everyone in the room despite their conversations, the news, or their attempts to cook or help do so.

"We figured that the French mob that was looking at Grace," ah, her name... "was stationed either in Vegas or Las Angeles," Wally explained.

"Oh, sounds fun. By the way, the is the dumbest shirt that I have ever seen. I certainly hope that you're not settling with that for your 'souvenir'." Robin said, with the proper quotation hand motions accompanying his words.

Wally looked down at his shirt, then shrugged. It was kind of ugly, oh well. It was the only thing that he could afford since he wasn't mooching of the millionaire's son's money.

"Here," Robin said, waving a card in the air. Reaching forward, Wally took it, flipping it over so that he could read the backside.

"You're giving me your gamer points for Game Go? Really?" Wally asked, amazed at his friend's generosity and faintly wondering if he was okay.

"Sure, go, be free," Robin said, studying the Evidence logs for a Gotham PD case. "Anything, as long as it gets you another shirt," he quipped as Wally raced out. _Great, another account to watch._

"Robin," M'gann asked carefully.

"Yo?" Robin said, eyes twitching to one side of the keyboard as he searched for the correct 'f' key. He looked up when the Martian gave no response. Studying her and the rest of the team, he sighted once he realized what they wanted. "A; I'm fine. Tired of, well, being tired, and still light headed. But I'm fine. B; I am not in the mood to explain everything that happened to me and what I did wrong when I'm going to repeat it to Batman and Red Tornado when we get back to Mount Justice."

"Then why don't you explain it now?" a deep, yet subtle voice said.

Robin raised his head as he frowned straight forward, as if he was trying to recognize the voice. "Bats?" he asked over his shoulder. Once his eyes lay on the Dark Knight, all the emotions of regret, worry, and longing swarmed back to the child. And he was having such a simple day.

* * *

**So, the first story has Roy and Dick, and a little Wally. They also discover something about Roy that's bad and is slightly related to this story. And I promise that it won't be as long!**

**The second contains Wally and Dick, a new Young Justice, and torture. And aliens. And evil robot bugs. And cool stuff.**

**So, cast your vote in your review and don't be hatin' if your story doesn't get written. But I personally am leaning toward the second. Not saying that any story will be written any time soon, but I'll know what to start on.**


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